Which of the following are the general purposes of ethnographic research? (Select all that apply.)

Question

a. To describe events within a culture in the distant past
b. To describe a culture
c. To construct theories that explain cultural interactions
d. To measure the effect of living conditions on human care, health, and nursing process
e. To explore meanings of social actions against a cultural backdrop

Answer 1

ANS: B, E
Ethnographic research provides a framework for studying cultures. The word ethnography is derived by combining the Greek roots of "ethno" (folk or people) and "graphy" (picture or portrait). Ethnographies are the written reports of a culture from the perspectives of insiders. These reports were initially the products of anthropologists who studied primitive, foreign, or remote cultures. Now, however, a number of other disciplines, including social psychology, sociology, political science, education, and nursing, promote cultural research. Anthropologists seek to understand people: their ways of living, believing, acquiring information, transforming knowledge, and socializing the next generation. Studying a culture begins with the philosophical values of respecting, appreciating, and seeking to preserve the values and ways of life of the culture. The philosophical bases of ethnography are naturalism and respect for others. The purpose of anthropological research is to describe a culture and explore "the meanings of social actions within cultures."