Ethnography? Explain its significance in sociological research
Introduction
Ethnography,
descriptive study of a particular human society or the process of making such a
study. Contemporary ethnography is based almost entirely on fieldwork and
requires the complete immersion of the anthropologist in the culture and
everyday life of the people who are the subject of his study.
There
has been some confusion regarding the terms ethnography and ethnology. The
latter, a term more widely used in Europe, encompasses the analytical and
comparative study of cultures in general, which in American usage is the
academic field known as cultural anthropology (in British usage, social
anthropology). Increasingly, however, the distinction between the two is coming
to be seen as existing more in theory than in fact. Ethnography, by virtue of
its intersubjective nature, is necessarily comparative. Given that the
anthropologist in the field necessarily retains certain cultural biases, his
observations and descriptions must, to a certain degree, be comparative. Thus
the formulating of generalizations about culture and the drawing of comparisons
inevitably become components of ethnography.
The
description of other ways of life is an activity with roots in ancient times.
Herodotus, the Greek traveler and historian of the 5th century BC, wrote of
some 50 different peoples he encountered or heard of, remarking on their laws,
social customs, religion, and appearance. Beginning with the age of exploration
and continuing into the early 20th century, detailed accounts of non-European
peoples were rendered by European traders, missionaries, and, later, colonial
administrators. The reliability of such accounts varies considerably, as the
Europeans often misunderstood what they saw or had a vested interest in
portraying their subjects less than objectively.
Significance in sociological research
Social
science deals with the study of society and the relationship among individuals
within society. It includes business, sociology, commerce, demography, etc.
Social science research provides authentic information to the people that are
scientifically proven so that end users can rely upon it. It also helps us in
finding the solutions to different social problems. It focuses on the fact that
if we are able to find the root cause of any problem, we can find the more effective
solution to it.
Social science is involved everywhere starting from
healthcare sector to business world. It also contributes to social welfare,
formulation of theories, development of methodology, social planning,
prediction, and control.
Social
science is also in great demand in the business world, specifically in the
aviation industry. They help the companies to understand its customers well by
providing them information about the travel patterns, use of services, etc.
Social science research can help the industries in gaining customer
satisfaction by giving them useful insights into customer behaviors. This can
lead to business growth and higher profitability of the firms.
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