So, you want to be an Ethnographer: Reflections and encouragement from a (very) Novice Fieldworker

MCL Backstory

By Stephen Zamarripa

Introduction

In March 2022, I embarked on a journey to conduct ethnographic research via field work at multiple senior centers in my county. With a larger research team, I sought to understand the culture, values, and social environment of their setting. Our study, DiscernMC, aims to understand the lived experiences of people living with dementia (PLWD), specifically Alzheimer’s Disease, and their caregivers and providers.

I took a winding and unconventional road before trying my hand at ethnography. In college I majored in Social Sciences and was exposed to several ethnographic works. One of my most memorable classes looked at Bob Marley, Reggae, and African musical roots—tracing the African Diaspora and musical characteristics that influenced music worldwide. Work that will always stand out in my mind was a module that looked at the polyphonic singing of the“Aka Pygmy” Peoples and ethnomusicology pieces that sought to understand the music, culture, values of these ethnic groups. (NOTE: The term “pygmy” is sometimes considered to be derogatory, and it is not universally accepted amongst the ethnic groups of Central Africa to which it has been applied. Many of these groups refer to themselves as the “forest people”). 

After college, I found myself exploring different career paths like education, law, business, and finance. I settled on pursuing both academic research and medicine, which meant that I had to learn the basic sciences. I learned to engage with data in a more systematic and quantitative way, but began to lose touch with some of my qualitative science roots in the Social Sciences and Humanities. At times, the two felt antagonistic. I have found a balance since joining the Medical Cultures Lab, where I am relearning the importance of qualitative science and its role in gaining a holistic understanding of individual patients, the communities from which they come, and the systems in which they interact.

The purpose of this post is to reflect on my learnings in MCL and in the DiscernMC project over the last 6 – 12 months, but in some ways, it is also encouragement for my younger self. An assortment of things I wish I might have known prior to engaging in this work. 

What is Ethnographic research?

One could conduct a lengthy literature review and come out with multiple definitions of ethnography. One way I was helped to understand the approach was thanks to a mentor, who encouraged me to think of ethnographic research in terms of the concept called “participant observation.” This is not some gobbledygook. I know some might labor on about the penchant of social scientists to veer off into abstract realms to the point of no return—the double-edged sword of linguistic precision. However, the term is straightforward in that as an ethnographic researcher you will operate in a role that is both “participant” and “observer.” The roles are fluid as you switch from one to the other, even blending at times. In a sense, we all do this every day, so there are intuitive elements to the process. However, there are times during field research where you may want to be more cognizant and choose to assert yourself towards one role more than the other.

For example, in Mexican culture, there is a saying, “echar un ojo al gato y otro al garabato” which literally means “have one eye on the cat, the other on meat hook” but colloquially, it means to be vigilant and observant to two or more things at the same time. (If you want to have some fun looking at the etymology of that idiom--must be able to read and understand Spanish—have at it.) In short, it comes from a time when meat hooks were used to hold meat during its preparation and the need to be watchful of curious cats that might pounce on that meat behind unsuspecting cooks and butchers.

In my family, this saying is often used when multiple conversations are taking place at the same time in the same place, and one observer and/or participant in one conversation suddenly comments on another conversation while still engaged in their original conversation. Typically, some juicy “chisme” (gossip) is taking place or, even worse, said commenter is the one being gossiped about and said comment is then often a retort. However, the point remains that “participant observation” can be more intuitive than you might imagine—we do it in our personal lives all the time. 

At my fieldwork sites, participant observation sometimes looks like blending in but maintaining a macro view of the conversations, movement at the sites, cultural practices and rituals of community, the social environment, conflicts, activities, event changes over time, etc. Do people pray before their meals? What kinds of activities do they engage in? Do people attend with others? Do they attend alone? Does everyone participate in activities? What kind of music plays in the background? 

What does my “participation” look like in all of this? Sometimes it looks like when I play bingo or loteria with the members and get the privilege to take hold of the microphone and call out bingo numbers. Sometimes it means helping with the cleanup efforts after lunch. At other times, the participating and observing roles blend, and I listen to see how people discuss aging or potentially living with dementia, but also participate in the conversation and ask more probing questions. How might they be navigating this reality? How does this help us understand about their lived experience? What are their reasons for attending the senior centers? --“Echar un ojo al gato y otro al garabato.” 

Note, there are tradeoffs in each of these roles, and it can change the data you acquire. Data that leans more observant has the potential to tap us into a broad understanding of the culture of people and the space they occupy, and how they influence one another.  On the other hand, participatory work allows us to build trust with the research population and is an attempt to share in the joys and mundanities of life—ultimately yielding rich data and humanizing people, their experiences, and the places they live.  Together in instances where the roles are blended, we can achieve richness in all these ways.  If it were like building a house, observing would be like drawing blueprints and scaffolding, participating would be like filling out the structure, and blended together would be like the interior and exterior details of a house, and making a house feel like a “home.”

“Protect your Field Position”

In high school, I used to wrestle in multiple distinctive styles: American Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman. Each style was unique with different sets of rules which influenced the positions that a wrestler may find themselves in over the course of a match. Though the goals of wrestling and research differ, the concept of positionality and the goal “protecting your position” translates across sports, life, and-- in this case --ethnographic research.

Gaining and maintaining your position in the field. 

Who is your research population? Where might we find this population? Patience and persistence are key. Before being in the field you may have to gain position in (or access to) the field. To begin our work, other novice ethnographic researchers and I began compiling a list of locations that might serve our research population (e.g., people living with dementia (PLWD), caregivers of PLWD, providers of PLWD). Given that dementia impacts mostly aging and elder populations, I investigated Senior Centers and other facilities that host activities for seniors. 

I had the experience of being rejected by a couple of sites which led to some doubt and questions. Here are some questions that immediately ran through my mind upon rejection:

• Was my elevator pitch about the study lacking anything?

  • Am I being too specific? too vague?

  • Do I come off as a complete outsider?

  • Is any aspect of our research off-putting?

• How am I being perceived by this community?

• Did I speak to the right people?

  • Did I speak to someone posing as the ‘gatekeeper’ of this site, but is not necessarily a decision-maker?

• Should have I called first instead of physically arriving without notice?

• Should have I physically showed up instead of calling?

The answers are not always clear, and the approaches are not either. This may be unsatisfying for those of us who like to plan and approach problem-solving systematically. I learned to embrace this process and try to be at peace with discomfort and not always knowing. Results matter but the process should never be lost on a novice researcher.

I came across my sites by trial and error, and eventually my PI (Principal Investigator) and I had to present at a council to receive approval to conduct research at their sites. Just as you, the researcher, are trying to gain and protect your position, know that other governing bodies, decision-makers, and stakeholders also may desire to protect their respective positions and community members. Some members may have institutional weariness; when you represent an academic institution, that alone could be a source of concern. Being cognizant and judicious about how, when, and to whom you “name-drop” could be the difference between securing and losing a potential site.

Once at a site, you will inevitably have to manage your presence as you begin interacting and engage with your research population. Managing your presence, reputation, and relationships with members and decision-makers at your site comes with the territory in fieldwork—protect your position.

Field Notes and Observations

As you get more regularly out to the field, you will begin taking plenty of field notes.

I have been learning that observations will vary as you are out in the field depending on who, what, when, where, and how you are observing over time. As I began to scout sites, my observations were broad and very descriptive about the locations, the buildings, the interactions. Most people I know do not think twice or bat an eye at ordinary happenings. I mean, why would they? However, fieldwork reawakened in me curiosity in qualitative research and restored dormant qualitative interests and skills. I became hyperaware of the mundane and routine. I found myself describing people and places in my community in ways I never really did before. Over time, these types of broad descriptions can taper off into something more focused as the scope of the study comes into picture. Refined research questions and a clearer understanding of the units of analysis will shape the scope of the fieldnotes.

Interpretation and Analysis

Within and outside of field notes, we are challenged to reflect and think critically about our observations. While it is important to try and remain impartial and not make too many assumptions about a place, its people, and our interactions with them, it is also important to begin making attempts to interpret our observations and not always fret about how “close to the truth” our interpretation is at any given time. Interpretations are always being refined with more interactions and data collection. 

For example, a participant I had the honor of interviewing was very stern and direct with me on one occasion. It was a bit confusing because previously our interactions had been very friendly. The shift scared me away so much that I politely excused myself shortly thereafter. However, all subsequent interactions have been friendly connections. The common denominator in this and similar scenarios is that my “perception” and how I “interpreted” these interactions were informed by both what the study participants were doing, and also by so many facets of my whole being: my education, how I present myself to others, how I am perceived by others, and other qualities. I think it is impossible to completely avoid interpreting a situation or scenario, so it is best to be clear with yourself and your team about what shapes your interpretations. In addition to this, the scholarly analytical and theoretical lenses that we will apply to the data shapes our interpretations as well.

For those of us that had to take a General Chemistry course, we may (not) fondly remember having to learn dimensional analysis as tool and method to establish relationships between different units of measurement which allows for conversion (e.g., 1kg = 1000g). Similarly, though not the same, in qualitative research we observe and analyze people, places, and systems through different historical, economic, political, cultural, societal, geographical, and other dimensions—attempting to build relationships between our research participants, their experiences, and world in which they inhabit.

Conclusion

There is so much more to qualitative research that can fit within one single blog post and, as the title suggests, I am far from qualified to be lecturing about its innerworkings. But I hope that this post can serve as a source of encouragement for those embarking upon new journeys in qualitative research.

The steps are not always clear, and there is not exactly a universal “how to guide.”  However, in my brief time at Medical Cultures Lab, I have begun to appreciate how much I have grown in the process. While not completely a smooth, linear, comfortable process, it is a process that challenges me to see the world, its people, and my community with a fresh set of eyes: an eagerness and curiosity to see, listen, and explore—remaining in awe. 

Afterall, isn’t this really the spirit of research?