Ethnography

    Ethnography         conduct your study/description from the emic perspective (insider’s view) utilizing the practice of cultural relativism. For this assignment, you shall learn about the subculture, cultural trait, or ritual of your choice by conducting fieldwork, participant observation, coupled with researching text. Of course with the short time allotted coupled with the fact that this is an introductory class your ethnography/ethnology will be a basic one at best. At this point in the project you should have already selected your research project, had your thesis approved, have begun your initial research, and have developed a rough structure to your paper.   Choose a subculture that is easily recognized for its own, unique characteristics by “outsiders” (i.e. those who are not part of the subculture), and consists of a group of people who all share the same worldview or beliefs, have a common goal or purpose, are of the same nationality, etc. Choose a specific group to write about, rather than one that has a really broad scope (e.g. a major religion would be too broad, but a specific denomination, mosque, church or temple would be fine).