Steps in Writing an Ethnography

The first phase of an ethnography is to select your subject(s). Sometimes the most difficult part of the assignment, you select preferably a group of individuals who relate to a topic, or side-topic of your research area. This can be family members, stores, other businesses, schools and so forth. Only you can decide which group most touches your subject and will be convenient for you to work with.

Tip: In this day and age, if you select a store, business or school, I strongly recommend speaking with the manager or principal, informing him you are doing a creative writing paper, and asking their permission to hang around. You may even be required to assure them that people's names will be kept anonymous. Please use integrity in your dealings with these individuals.

The second phase of the ethnography is the observation period. Remember the two questions by Alexander Massey. " 'What does it mean to be a member of this group?' What is required to be a part of this group? Observe with all of your senses. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? What do you taste? What does it feel to the touch? What time is it? Keep all of this in mind, while practicing the "fly on the wall" routine. You want no assumptions, no pre-drawn conclusions, no opinions while observing. Simply take detailed notes with your sensory data until you are finished observing.

The last phase of an ethnography is to compile your notes into a paper, sharing what you have observed and what conclusions you came to after observing them. In this phase you are telling a story, starting with why you chose the subjects(s), what happened during your observations and what surprised you. Finally, what conclusions did you come to after observing your subject(s)?

The short ethnography I wrote on Starbucks is titled, "Ethnography: Carnation Starbucks". When you read it, notice how many pictures you can make with the sensory notes. Your goal is to allow the reader to see what you saw, hear what you heard and so on. Try to get these details into your own ethnographie