Ethnography Experience
The author of this brief reflection has been asked to reflect on a recent assignment, how it went, how it was structured and so forth. To be specific, there was an ethnographic interview and observation and the author is to reflect on the structure and experiences that came along the way as part of that process. The resources that were present as part of the process will also inform what is said, why it is said and so forth. What happened during the Final Immersion Project experience was very useful and there is a lot to be said about it. While there are so many directions that the author could take when it comes to the experiences that were had, there are some in particular that could and should be aid.
Body
If there is one thing that the author learned about the process of ethnography and its associated subjects, it would be how important it is to remain detached and professional as part of the process. This is not to say that one’s own personal perspective and experiences are not important and that they could or should never be part of the perspective offered as part of these assignments and reports....
However, allowing those personal experiences and perspectives to unnecessarily color and influence what else is being observed would be a mistake and that should obviously be avoided whenever possible. For example, when looking at the behaviors, thoughts and patterns of a particular group, it is important to look at what specifically influences them and why they do them. The context that should be assessed should be their own and what leads them specifically to do what they do. What cannot be allowed to happen is to think about things from one’s own perspective. The primary reason for this is that one’s own perspective almost certainly had nothing to do with why those people acted (or continue to act) the way that they do. Instead, there should be a focus on the antecedents and cultural aspects that do organically lead to what is observed as part of the ethnographic research.
For example, one of the research works that was read and studied as part of the class work up until now was about feminist theory and how it intersects and influences social work. For many people, feminist theory has a lot to do with the cultural trends…
