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Indian Journal of Research in Anthropology

Volume  7, Issue 2, July – December 2021, Pages 57-62
 

Review Article

Ethnography: A Literature Review

Rajeev Kumar, Farhad Mollick, Arun Kumar

1Research Scholar, 2Professor, 3Post Doctoral Fellow Department of Anthropology, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, Maharashtra 442005, India.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijra.2454.9118.7221.5

Abstract

An ethnographical research allow the researchers an opportunity to explore the areas of interest and qualitative research in more details and providing special attention for the particularly causes, order and purposes of behaviors and events. Ethnography plays an important role in qualitative studies like anthropological, sociological, archeological and other studies. It also helps in understanding the reason behinds many elements of human behavior and their social events. The present review article is focused on the ethnography related qualitative research and looking for the its history, background, types, tools and techniques, methods of study, approaches as well as how the facts are collected by the method of participatory observation, etc. This paper is trying to understanding the contribution made by various anthropologists in the field of ethnography studies. It is noted that t the ethnography as a subject that describes any society and groups on the basis of facts based on fieldwork. This method was first studied by Tyler with residents of Mexico for a period of six months. Another American classical evolutionary anthropologist, L. H. Morgan also studied about the culture of Iraqvis Indians. Thus ethnography was introduced, which is a major part of anthropology. Among various anthropologists, such as Bronislaw Malinowski (1914–1918) who studied the social rules, laws and beliefs of that society by participatory observation among the Troviyand Islanders of Malaysia, Morgan studied the games, dances, and beliefs of Iraqi Indians through the interview method. Radcliffe Brown also came to India between (1906-1908) and collected facts about the culture of the 'Onge tribe' of the Andaman and Nicovar islanders through participatory observation, and interview method. Similarly, the ethnography of Neo-Buddhists was done by the researcher through semiparticipatory observation, in-depth interviews and personal study. Some major approaches are used to study anthropology. For example, holistic approach, comparative approach, ethnographic and historical approach, on the basis of which the facts are collected by studying a group and community. Apart from this, the informant and researcher also have perspectives which are called emic and etic perspectives, on the basis of which there is a need to see the local people from their own point of view. Collecting the facts under the law Such as participatory observation, in-depth interviews and personal study. These methods play an important role in gathering the facts with direct clarity so it seeks to answer the reasoning behind human behavior and social phenomena.


Keywords : Participatory observation; In-depth interview; key informant; Anthropological approach.
Corresponding Author : Arun Kumar, Post Doctoral Fellow Department of Anthropology, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, Maharashtra 442005, India.