Army Contract Specialists’ Lack of Desire to Become Contracting Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

management positions. In researching this matter, the author will utilize a mixed method research approach which employs both qualitative and...literature available and relevance. Chapter 3 presents the methods used to conduct the research and discusses why qualitative interviews and survey research ...This research study will utilize a qualitative method with roots in traditional ethnographic research , in helping to achieve the objective of

A Qualitative Study of Resident Learning in Ambulatory Clinic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, C. Scott; Morris, Magdalena; Francovich, Chris; Hill, William; Gieselman, Janet

2004-01-01

Qualitative analysis of a large ethnographic database from observations of a resident teaching clinic revealed three important findings. The first finding was that breakdown, a situation where an "actor" (such as a person or the group) is not achieving expected effectiveness, was the most important category because of its frequency and explanatory…

Development of psychiatric risk evaluation checklist and routine for nurses in a general hospital: ethnographic qualitative study.

PubMed

Camargo, Ana Luiza Lourenço Simões; Maluf Neto, Alfredo; Colman, Fátima Tahira; Citero, Vanessa de Albuquerque

2015-01-01

There is high prevalence of mental and behavioral disorders in general hospitals, thus triggering psychiatric risk situations. This study aimed to develop a psychiatric risk assessment checklist and routine for nurses, the Psychiatric Risk Evaluation Check-List (PRE-CL), as an alternative model for early identification and management of these situations in general hospitals. Ethnographic qualitative study in a tertiary-level private hospital. Three hundred general-unit nurses participated in the study. Reports were gathered through open groups conducted by a trained nurse, at shift changes for two months. The questions used were: "Would you consider it helpful to discuss daily practice situations with a psychiatrist? Which situations?" The data were qualitatively analyzed through an ethnographic approach. The nurses considered it useful to discuss daily practice situations relating to mental and behavioral disorders with a psychiatrist. Their reports were used to develop PRE-CL, within the patient overall risk assessment routine for all inpatients within 24 hours after admission and every 48 hours thereafter. Whenever one item was present, the psychosomatic medicine team was notified. They went to the unit, gathered data from the nurses, patient files and, if necessary, attending doctors, and decided on the risk management: guidance, safety measures or mental health consultation. It is possible to develop a model for detecting and intervening in psychiatric and behavioral disorders at general hospitals based on nursing team observations, through a checklist that takes these observations into account and a routine inserted into daily practice.

Expanding the clinical role of community pharmacy: A qualitative ethnographic study of medication reviews in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Patton, Sarah J; Miller, Fiona A; Abrahamyan, Lusine; Rac, Valeria E

2018-03-01

Medication reviews by community pharmacists are an increasingly common strategy to improve medication management for chronic conditions, and are part of wider efforts to make more effective use of community-based health professionals. To identify opportunities to optimize the medication review program in Ontario, Canada, we explored how providers and clients interpret and operationalize medication reviews within everyday community pharmacy practice. We conducted a qualitative ethnographic study at four pharmacies in Ontario, Canada, including non-participant observation of provider and client activities and interactions with specific attention to medication reviews, as well as brief ethnographic interviews with providers and clients, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with providers. We report on 72h of field research, observation of 178 routine pharmacist-client interactions and 29 medication reviews, 62 brief ethnographic interviews with providers and clients, and 7 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with providers. We found that medication reviews were variably conducted across the dimensions of duration, provider type, location, and interaction style, and that local contexts and system-wide developments influence their meaning and practice. Medication reviews are exemplary of policy efforts to enhance the role of community pharmacies within health systems and the scope of practice of pharmacists as healthcare professionals. Our study highlights the importance of the local structure of community pharmacy practice and the clinical aspirations of pharmacists in the delivery of medication reviews. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding the complex interplay of barriers to physical activity amongst black and minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom: a qualitative synthesis using meta-ethnography.

PubMed

Koshoedo, Sejlo A; Paul-Ebhohimhen, Virginia A; Jepson, Ruth G; Watson, Margaret C

2015-07-12

To conduct a meta-ethnographic analysis of qualitative studies to identify barriers to Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) individuals engaging in physical activity in the UK context. A qualitative synthesis using meta-ethnographic methods to synthesis studies of barriers to engaging in physical activity among BME groups in the UK. A comprehensive search strategy of multiple databases was employed to identify qualitative research studies published up to October 2012. The eleven searched databases included ASSIA, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), NHS Scotland Library, Physical Activity Health Alliance (PAHA), PsyINFO, Social Services Abstract, Sport discuss and Web of Science. The Noblit and Hare's meta-ethnographic approach was undertaken to develop an inductive and interpretive form of knowledge synthesis. Fourteen papers met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis indicated that barriers to physical activity among BME individuals were influenced by four main concepts: perceptions; cultural expectations; personal barriers; and factors limiting access to facilities. BME individuals had different understandings of physical activity were influenced by migration history, experiences, cultural and health beliefs. This in turn may have a disempowering effect on BME individuals in terms of adopting or maintaining physical activity. These barriers to physical activity were explained at a higher conceptual level by a socio-ecological model. The social construct 'individual perception and understanding of physical activity' was particularly relevant to theoretical models and interventions. Interventions to promote engagement with physical activity need to address perceptions of this behaviour. The elicited concepts and contexts could be used to enhance the development of tailored effective health promotion interventions for BME individuals.

Personal Safety in Dangerous Places

PubMed Central

Williams, Terry; Dunlap, Eloise; Johnson, Bruce D.; Hamid, Ansley

2009-01-01

Personal safety during fieldwork is seldom addressed directly in the literature. Drawing from many prior years of ethnographic research and from field experience while studying crack distributors in New York City, the authors provide a variety of strategies by which ethnographic research can be safely conducted in dangerous settings. By projecting an appropriate demeanor, ethnographers can seek others for protector and locator roles, routinely create a safety zone in the field, and establish compatible field roles with potential subjects. The article also provides strategies for avoiding or handling sexual approaches, common law crimes, fights, drive-by shootings, and contacts with the police. When integrated with other standard qualitative methods, ethnographic strategies help to ensure that no physical harm comes to the field-worker and other staff members. Moreover, the presence of researchers may actually reduce (and not increase) potential and actual violence among crack distributors/abusers or others present in the field setting. PMID:19809525

Understanding the Role of Identity and the Retention of Mexican American Students in Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Leon, Juan, Jr.

2012-01-01

This qualitative ethnographic narrative inquiry explored the role of identity and the retention of Mexican American students in higher education. Leadership identity, a dimension of identity, was explored using narratives provided by 13 Mexican American students, attending a university in the northwest United States. Interview data was compiled,…

"Adging up" to "Beef on Sight": A Qualitative Study of the Perceived Causes of Interpersonal Conflict and Violence among African-American Girls in an Urban High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Mark; Taggar, Carolyn E.

2005-01-01

This qualitative study examined perceptions of the causes and nature of conflicts and violence among African-American girls in an urban high school. In-depth, iterative interviewing was used to explore the perceptions of these girls, male students, teachers, and other school personnel. Ethnographic observation was also used. Conflicts and violence…

Stigma and Barriers to Care Caring for Those Exposed to War, Disaster and Terrorism

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-06

behaviors, and injury. There is a paucity of qualitative study of the narratives of injured soldiers who successfully negotiated barriers to care...Develop qualitative methods to examine the narratives of successful treat- ment across the trajectories of accessing care. • Examine technologies... study and randomize them." Thirty patients consented to this protocol. It is the application of ethnographic methods . It is clinical ethnography . We

Medication-taking behaviours in chronic kidney disease with multiple chronic conditions: a meta-ethnographic synthesis of qualitative studies.

PubMed

Bartlett Ellis, Rebecca J; Welch, Janet L

2017-03-01

To identify behaviours associated with taking medications and medication adherence reported in qualitative studies of adults with chronic kidney disease and coexisting multiple chronic conditions. To inform medication adherence interventions, information is needed to clarify the nature of the relationships between behaviours that support medication-taking and medication adherence in multiple chronic conditions. Meta-ethnographic review and synthesis. CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched. Five qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. A meta-ethnographic approach was used for synthesis. Medication-taking behaviours were abstracted from study findings and synthesised according to the contexts in which they occur and interpreted within a new developing framework named the Medication-taking Across the Care Continuum and Adherence-related Outcomes. Twenty categories of medication-taking behaviours occurred in three main contexts: (1) patient-provider clinical encounters, (2) pharmacy encounters and (3) day-to-day management. These behaviours are distinctly different, multilevel and interrelated. Together they represent a process occurring across a continuum. Future medication adherence research should consider using a multilevel ecological view of medication management. Clinical practice and policy development can benefit from further understanding socio-contextual behaviours that occur across the continuum. Nurses should have greater presence in chronic disease management and be positioned to support the day-to-day home management of patients' medications. Healthcare professionals can partner with patients to elucidate how these behaviours are enacted across the care continuum and in day-to-day management to identify opportunities to intervene on specific behaviours and promote medication adherence. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ethnography in qualitative educational research: AMEE Guide No. 80.

PubMed

Reeves, Scott; Peller, Jennifer; Goldman, Joanne; Kitto, Simon

2013-08-01

Ethnography is a type of qualitative research that gathers observations, interviews and documentary data to produce detailed and comprehensive accounts of different social phenomena. The use of ethnographic research in medical education has produced a number of insightful accounts into its role, functions and difficulties in the preparation of medical students for clinical practice. This AMEE Guide offers an introduction to ethnography - its history, its differing forms, its role in medical education and its practical application. Specifically, the Guide initially outlines the main characteristics of ethnography: describing its origins, outlining its varying forms and discussing its use of theory. It also explores the role, contribution and limitations of ethnographic work undertaken in a medical education context. In addition, the Guide goes on to offer a range of ideas, methods, tools and techniques needed to undertake an ethnographic study. In doing so it discusses its conceptual, methodological, ethical and practice challenges (e.g. demands of recording the complexity of social action, the unpredictability of data collection activities). Finally, the Guide provides a series of final thoughts and ideas for future engagement with ethnography in medical education. This Guide is aimed for those interested in understanding ethnography to develop their evaluative skills when reading such work. It is also aimed at those interested in considering the use of ethnographic methods in their own research work.

A meta-ethnographic synthesis of midwives' and nurses' experiences of adverse labour and birth events.

PubMed

Elmir, Rakime; Pangas, Jackie; Dahlen, Hannah; Schmied, Virginia

2017-12-01

Health professionals are frequently exposed to traumatic events due to the nature of their work. While traumatic and adverse labour and birth events experienced by women are well researched, less attention has been given to midwives' and nurses' experiences of these events and the impact it has on their lives. To undertake a meta-ethnographic study of midwives' and nurses' experiences of adverse labour and birth events. Scopus, CINHAL PLUS, MEDLINE and PUBMED databases were searched using subject headings and keywords. The search was limited to papers published in peer-reviewed journals from 2004-October 2016. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Papers had to be qualitative or have a substantial qualitative component. Studies were included if they primarily focused on midwives' or nurses' perspectives or experiences of complicated, traumatic or adverse labour and birth events. A meta-ethnographic approach was used incorporating methods of reciprocal translation guided by the work of Noblit and Hare (1988, Meta-Ethnography: Synthesizing qualitative studies (Vol. 11). Newbury Park: Sage publications). Eleven qualitative studies were included in the final sample. Four major themes were (i) feeling the chaos; (ii) powerless, responsible and a failure; (iii) "It adds another scar to my soul"; and (iv) finding a way to deal with it. Midwives and nurses feel relatively unprepared when faced with a real-life labour and birth emergency event. While many of the midwives and nurses were traumatised by the experience, some were able to view their encounter as an opportunity to develop their emergency response skills. Witnessing and being involved in a complicated or adverse labour and birth event can be traumatic for nurses and midwives. Organisational and collegial support needs to be available to enable these health professionals to talk about their feelings and concerns. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Skepticism and Qualitative Research: A View from Inside.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Richard

1980-01-01

Discusses the tendency to formalize qualitative research methodologies in order to clarify basic issues inherent in contemplating ethnographic research. Presents a critique of social phenomenological positions in educational research and suggests two alternative qualitative approaches, one conceived by A.W. Imershein and the other by J.W. Knight.…

Middle School Hypermedia Composition: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garthwait, Abigail

2007-01-01

During a six-month naturalistic study, the author conducted an ethnographic examination of a seventh grade hypermedia unit. Beginning with the global question, "In what ways are computers used to support the education of middle school students?" the researcher coded and analyzed observations, interviews and projects. Three themes emerged: the…

Understanding Students' Precollege Experiences with Racial Diversity: The High School as Microsystem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Julie J.; Chang, Stephanie H.

2015-01-01

Few qualitative studies consider how high school experiences affect readiness for diversity engagement in college. Using data from an ethnographic case study, three central trends (student experiences within homogeneous high schools, racial divisions within diverse high schools, and students who attended diverse high schools but had little…

"What You Supposed to Know": Urban Black Students' Perspectives on History Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodson, Ashley N.

2015-01-01

Research in social studies education has raised significant practical and epistemological concerns with the history textbooks used in urban schools. While these concerns are well documented, we know less about their implications for Black students' understandings and applications of historical content. This qualitative, ethnographic study explored…

Learning from e-Family History: A Model of Online Family Historian Research Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friday, Kate

2014-01-01

Introduction: This paper reports on doctoral research which investigated the online research behaviour of family historians, from the overall perspective of local studies collections and developing online services for family historians. Method: A hybrid (primarily ethnographic) study was employed using qualitative diaries and shadowing, to examine…

Insights into Departure Intention: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natoli, Riccardo; Jackling, Beverley; Siddique, Salina

2015-01-01

Efforts to address attrition rates at universities have been driven by Tinto's (1975) model of student engagement with its focus on student: (a) pre entry attributes; (b) academic engagement; and (c) social engagement. Using an ethnographic approach, the study involves interviews with business students to explore the links between these aspects…

Transition to Postgraduate Study: Practice, Participation and the Widening Participation Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donnell, Victoria L.; Tobbell, Jane; Lawthom, Rebecca; Zammit, Maria

2009-01-01

This article explores transition to postgraduate (PG) study in terms of the widening participation (WP) agenda. The research is located within a Communities of Practice framework, allowing for explanations of transition in terms of learning, identity and participation in practices. A qualitative ethnographic methodology is employed, and analysis…

Sustaining Teacher Leadership in Enabling to Inchoate Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzales, Linda Dawson; Behar-Horenstein, Linda S.

2004-01-01

This qualitative study used ethnographic and historical approaches to examine teacher leadership in both an enabling and an inchoate culture. The purpose of this study was to discover what factors contributed to or inhibited the sustainability of teacher leadership. Using original documentation from earlier studies that report on eight years of a…

A Novel Approach to London: Infusing Ethnography and the Study Abroad Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaefer, Zachary A.; Lynch, Owen H.

2017-01-01

Courses: Qualitative Research Methods, Ethnographic Research Methods. Objective: This purpose of this activity is to document the enculturation process through which students begin to understand a new culture during a study abroad experience. To accomplish this, we created a new pedagogical approach for study abroad experiences that involved a…

Mentoring within Internships: Socializing New School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enomoto, Ernestine K.; Gardiner, Mary E.

2006-01-01

Framed by organizational socialization, this qualitative study examines the use of a formal arrangement of mentoring to socialize prospective school administrators. Participants were eight interns paired with eight principals from three school districts. Our ethnographic approach solicited an insider's view of mentoring based upon participants'…

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: A Qualitative Synthesis Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Cheryl Tatano

2003-01-01

Describes a project that required graduate nursing students to conduct qualitative meta-synthesis of ethnographic research, using Noblit and Hare's approach. Discusses the process of meta-synthesis, interpretation of outcomes, and students' reactions to the project. (Contains 16 references.) (SK)

Writing Interview Protocols and Conducting Interviews: Tips for Students New to the Field of Qualitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, Stacy A.; Furgerson, S. Paige

2012-01-01

Students new to doing qualitative research in the ethnographic and oral traditions, often have difficulty creating successful interview protocols. This article offers practical suggestions for students new to qualitative research for both writing interview protocol that elicit useful data and for conducting the interview. This piece was originally…

Smoking among Low-Income Pregnant Women: An Ethnographic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichter, Mimi; Nichter, Mark; Muramoto, Myra; Adrian, Shelly; Goldade, Kate; Tesler, Laura; Thompson, Jennifer

2007-01-01

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of 53 low-income women who were smokers at the onset of pregnancy. Study participants were interviewed during pregnancy to document smoking trajectories and factors contributing to, or undermining, harm reduction and quit attempts. Thirty percent of women quit smoking completely, 43% engaged…

Investigating Science Discourse in a High School Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Lauren Honeycutt

2011-01-01

Science classrooms in the United States have become more diverse with respect to the variety of languages spoken by students. This qualitative study used ethnographic methods to investigate the discourse and practices of two ninth grade science classrooms. Approximately 44% of students included in the study were designated as English learners. The…

Traditions, Mentoring, and Vietnamese Women Leaders in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazarian-Chehab, Rina

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of informal mentoring on the leadership development of women in leadership positions in Vietnamese universities. Methodology: This study was qualitative in nature; therefore, ethnographic design methodology was utilized to collect data. The data collection was performed in three stages:…

Increasing Unit Effectiveness in a Dynamic Environment by Implementing a Leadership Mathematical Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-10

research . For example, Creswell presents five types of qualitative research : narrative , phenomenological , grounded theory , ethnographic research , and... case study (2007, 53). According to Denzin and Lincoln (2005) there are six research directions: case study , ethnography , grounded theory , life 32...commanders. A method could be a kind of theory . Hence, grounded

Engaging with Drama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Kathleen

2013-01-01

This article reports on a multi-site global, ethnographic, and mixed methods study on student engagement. Our research has closely examined how engagement and disengagement operate subtly, simultaneously and relationally in the places and spaces where drama is made. Through years of qualitative time in high school classrooms and two different…

The Social Weaving of a Reading Atmosphere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sequeiros, Paula

2011-01-01

This paper discusses how public library readers in Almeida Garrett, Porto, create a reading atmosphere, focusing on meanings associated with aural conditions. Through a qualitative, single case study, ethnographic and interview techniques were applied. Readers' actual practices and discourses, through a theoretical sample, and those of managers,…

Friendship fosters learning: The importance of friendships in clinical practice.

PubMed

Roberts, Debbie

2009-11-01

This paper reports on one of the key findings from a recent ethnographic study (Roberts, D., 2007. Friendships and the community of students: peer learning amongst a group of pre-registration student nurses. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Salford, UK) and aims to highlight the importance of friendships for student nurses in clinical practice. An interpretive ethnographic approach was taken in order to reveal the student experience during their pre registration programme. Data was collected using ethnographic interviewing (Sorrell, J.M., Redmond, G.M., 1995. Interviews in qualitative nursing research: differing approaches for ethnographic and phenomenological studies. Journal of Advanced Nursing 21, 1117-1122.) and participant observation. Within this paper I argue that student nurses exist on the edge of the community of practice (of the qualified staff) and therefore form their own parallel community where students are all seen as being in the same boat. In particular students use the friendships they develop in clinical practice to enable them to learn; developing an 'ask anything' culture where all students are perceived as valuable sources of knowledge. Furthermore, it appears that knowledge is contextually bound and not therefore linked to seniority, or length of time served on the course.

An Ethnographically Informed Participatory Design of Primary Healthcare Information Technology in a Developing Country Setting.

PubMed

Shidende, Nima Herman; Igira, Faraja Teddy; Mörtberg, Christina Margaret

2017-01-01

Ethnography, with its emphasis on understanding activities where they occur, and its use of qualitative data gathering techniques rich in description, has a long tradition in Participatory Design (PD). Yet there are limited methodological insights in its application in developing countries. This paper proposes an ethnographically informed PD approach, which can be applied when designing Primary Healthcare Information Technology (PHIT). We use findings from a larger multidisciplinary project, Health Information Systems Project (HISP) to elaborate how ethnography can be used to facilitate participation of health practitioners in developing countries settings as well as indicating the importance of ethnographic approach to participatory Health Information Technology (HIT) designers. Furthermore, the paper discusses the pros and cons of using an ethnographic approach in designing HIT.

Superintendent's Leadership: The Cultural Aspects of The Role Enactment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niño, Juan Manuel

2018-01-01

This qualitative study seeks to create a better understanding of the work of school superintendents. This study was conducted using ethnographic techniques as a way to describe the practice of a Latino superintendent in a borderland community in south Texas. Guiding questions for this study were: What goes on in the workday life of a…

Teacher Identity and Reform: Intersections within School Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, Heather Ann; Parsons, Eileen R. Carlton

2016-01-01

In the era of school accountability, school reform programs aimed at shifting school culture are often implemented in an attempt to increase student achievement as measured by standardized test scores. This ethnographic case study was conducted in Hawk Elementary, a low-performing, high-poverty school. Quantitative and qualitative data collected…

From Knowledge to Practice: A Gifted Educator's Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinhard, Jessica J.

2016-01-01

This qualitative case study of a third-year teacher of intermediate students in a self-contained gifted education classroom uncovers the relationship between knowledge of pedagogical practices from national gifted education standards and their transfer to classroom practice. Ethnographic methods of interviews, field observations, lesson documents,…

Building Bridges: How Storytelling Influences Teacher/Student Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mello, Robin

This paper examines the impact of storytelling in educational venues. Specifically, the paper compares data and findings from four ethnographic, qualitative, arts-based studies that examined either students' or teachers' reactions to oral narration in classroom settings. It suggests that, through stories and storytelling, people are exposed to…

Intelligent Tutoring and the Development of Argumentative Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paneque, Juan J.; Cobo, Pedro; Fortuny, Josep M.

2017-01-01

This ethnographical study aims to interpret how an intelligent tutorial system, geogebraTUTOR, mediates to the student's argumentative processes. Data consisted of four geometrical problems proposed to a group of four students aged 16-17. Qualitative analysis of two selected cases led to the identification of the development of argumentative…

Participatory Science: Encouraging Public Engagement in ONEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heaton, Lorna; Millerand, Florence; Liu, Xiao; Crespel, Élodie

2016-01-01

This article provides a case study of a participatory science project that involved collecting observations of a giant grasshopper and registering them online. Our objective is to reflect on conditions for meaningful amateur engagement on Web 2.0 science platforms. Our overall approach is qualitative and ethnographically informed and draws on…

Evolving Identities among Russian-Born Buriat Mongolian Children in a Chinese Bilingual School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sartor, Valerie

2016-01-01

This article addresses identity issues among a specific group of Indigenous youth, young Buriat Mongolian students, born in Russia, who struggled to understand their sense of cultural identity while living and studying in Chinese Inner Mongolia. This qualitative research project employed ethnographic methodology. Sociocultural theory, specifically…

Exploring Principals' Nonroutine Problems in Bilingual Immersion Schools: Lessons Learned for Multicultural Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwabsky, Nitza

2013-01-01

The present study examines the nonroutine problems that eight Anglo-American principals encountered in managing three elementary bilingual immersion schools in the Northwest United States. Using qualitative inquiry to collect data, I employed the multisited ethnographic research model. The principals reported nonroutine problems in the following…

Emotional Responses to the Linguistic Landscape in Memphis, Tennessee: Visual Perceptions of Public Spaces in Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garvin, Rebecca Todd

2011-01-01

This qualitative ethnographic Linguistic Landscape (LL) study collected and analyzed ten individual "walking tour" interviews with residents of Memphis, Tennessee, exploring the personal thoughts and feelings about linguistic changes in the communities triggered by the LL. The researcher focused the participants' attention on…

Insights into university freshman weight issues and how they make decisions about eating

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The transition from high school to college represents a turning point during which health behavior trajectories may be influenced. This study addresses the internal and external factors that guide students’ eating decisions as they are understood and relayed by students through ethnographic, qualit...

"Those Anime Students": Foreign Language Literacy Development through Japanese Popular Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukunaga, Natsuki

2006-01-01

Using multiliteracies and sociocultural perspectives on language and literacy learning, this article describes three Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) students' literacy development through involvement with Japanese popular culture. As part of a larger qualitative ethnographic study, the author interviewed JFL learners who have a particular…

Culturally Responsive Caring and Expectations for Academic Achievement in a Catholic School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dallavis, Christian

2014-01-01

This article draws from a larger dissertation study that applied ethnographic and historical research methods to explore the intersection of culturally responsive pedagogy and Catholic schooling in immigrant communities. In particular, this article presents qualitative data analysis to describe student achievement expectations at a contemporary…

Formative Ethnographic Research to Improve Evaluation of a Novel Water System in Ghana

PubMed Central

Alcorn, Ted E.; Opryszko, Melissa C.; Schwab, Kellogg J.

2011-01-01

The accessibility of potable water is fundamental to public health. A private for-profit company is installing kiosk-based drinking-water systems in rural and peri-urban villages in Ghana, and we evaluated their performance. Preceding an observational study to measure the effect of these kiosks on the incidence of water-related disease in recipient communities, we conducted ethnographic research to assess local water-related practices and the ways these practices would affect adoption of the new technology. We conducted fieldwork in two communities in Ghana and interviewed stakeholders throughout the water sector. Our findings illustrate the complexity of water-related behaviors and indicate several factors that may sustain disease transmission despite the presence of the new technology. This formative ethnographic research also improved the precision of our subsequent evaluation of the intervention by providing a site-specific, culturally-appropriate knowledge base. This study demonstrates the value of incorporating qualitative research techniques into evaluations of water-related projects. PMID:21540392

A Feminist Poststructuralist View on Student Bodies in Physical Education: Sites of Compliance, Resistance, and Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azzarito, Laura; Solmon, Melinda A.

2006-01-01

The study of the social construction of the body has become crucial to contemporary academic discourses in education and physical education. Employing feminist poststructuralist theory and a qualitative ethnographic design, this study investigated how high school students identified themselves with images of bodies drawn from fitness and sports…

Achieving the Dream, Uncertain Futures: The Postbaccalaureate Decision-Making Process of Latinx Undocumented Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lara, Argelia; Nava, Pedro E.

2018-01-01

This qualitative study examined the decision-making process of undocumented college students pursuing graduate degrees, and how their commitment to matriculate in higher education programs is shaped by a myriad of social, familial, financial, and institutional factors. This study drew on 2 years of ethnographic data from a sample of 20…

Family Literacy and Digital Literacies: A Redefined Approach to Examining Social Practices of an African-American Family

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Tisha Y.

2009-01-01

This dissertation examines the digital literacy practices of an urban African-American family. Using an ethnographic case study approach (Stake, 2000), this qualitative study explores the multiple ways a mother (Larnee) and son (Gerard) interacted with digital literacies in the home. Situated within the framework of sociocultural traditions from…

An Ethnographic Study of Stigma and Ageism in Residential Care or Assisted Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbs, Debra; Eckert, J. Kevin; Rubinstein, Bob; Keimig, Lynn; Clark, Leanne; Frankowski, Ann Christine; Zimmerman, Sheryl

2008-01-01

Purpose: This study explored aspects of stigmatization for older adults who live in residential care or assisted living (RC-AL) communities and what these settings have done to address stigma. Design and Methods: We used ethnography and other qualitative data-gathering and analytic techniques to gather data from 309 participants (residents, family…

Expectations and Integration of Early Career Academics into the Teaching Career: Empirical Evidence from Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabi, Goski; Abdulai, Munkaila

2016-01-01

The preparation and induction of Early Career Academics (ECAs) in Ghana has been investigated using a qualitative study that employed an enumerative-ethnographic approach. The study combined reviews of policy documents, interviews of 50 Deans and Heads of Departments and surveys of ECAs in five purposively selected universities in Ghana to capture…

Socio-Spatial Practices in a Finnish Daycare Group for One- to Three-Year-Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutanen, Niina

2012-01-01

This qualitative case study approaches early childhood education and care practices from a socio-spatial point of view. One Finnish daycare group for one- to three-year-olds participated in the study. The ethnographic observations from the practices are analyzed together with the ECE practitioners' audio-recorded team meetings and video-elicited…

The Identity, Second Language, and the Classroom Dynamic: Participant Observation in a Beginning Korean as a Second Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Joel S.

2010-01-01

The goal of this qualitative study was to explore the nexus between second language acquisition, identity, and the beginning second language classroom. Using a social constructionist framework, the study utilizes ethnographic methodology incorporating both narrative and autoethnographic elements. Specifically the author acted as a participant…

Another Look at the Relative Impact of Workplace Design on Training Transfer for Supervisory Communication Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillsman, Terron L.; Kupritz, Virginia W.

2010-01-01

This ethnographic study extends the findings of earlier research that authenticated the impact of workplace design features on newly acquired communication skills back on the job. The qualitative nature of the earlier study, however, limited quantitative measurement of workplace design features that may have an impact on learned skills. This study…

The Multi-Literacy Development of a Young Trilingual Child: Four Leading Literacy Activities from Birth to Age Six

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mi Song

2014-01-01

This study examines the multiplicity of literacies while incorporating multiple modes of meaning to understand a young trilingual child's meaning-making processes. This qualitative study reports the results of a combination of ethnographic observations and a longitudinal case study of one child's multi-literacy development from birth to…

"We Learn A Lot from Mr. Hart": A Qualitative Study of an Effective Teacher of Aboriginal Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harslett, Mort; Godfrey, John; Harrison, Bernard; Partington, Gary; Richer, Kaye

A profile of an effective teacher of Aboriginal Australian students was constructed based on research on the teaching of Aboriginal students. Using the profile as a framework, this paper reports on an ethnographic study of an effective teacher in action with Aboriginal students. The study consisted of semi-participative observation of a teacher of…

Older Japanese Adults and Mobile Phones: An Applied Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hachiya, Kumiko

2010-01-01

This qualitative research investigates the meaning of "keitai" (mobile phones) for older Japanese adults between the ages of 59 and 79. Participants' emails from keitai, handwritten daily logs, and audio and video recordings from meetings and interviews were collected during my stay of nearly seven months in one of the largest cities in…

Problematising the Role of the White Researcher in Social Justice Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadderton, Charlotte

2012-01-01

This article contributes to the debate on decolonising methodologies in qualitative research by considering how a white researcher can try and destabilise white supremacy when explicitly conducting research with social justice aims. It draws on data from a recent ethnographic study of minority ethnic pupils' experiences in secondary schools in…

Leveraging the Power of Social Media to Maximize Organizational Learning and Drive Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Camilla C.

2014-01-01

This qualitative ethnographic study addresses the phenomenon of rapid social media expansion, which creates organizational challenges. Ongoing development of advanced technology products means that effective organizations must be more adaptive and receptive to new approaches and changes in their environment. In a hyper connected society, one where…

A Living Metaphor of Differentiation: A Meta-Ethnography of Cognitively Guided Instruction in the Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Katherine; Harter, Meghan Evelynne

2015-01-01

This meta-ethnography explores qualitative studies around the Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) framework of mathematics and illustrates how CGI epitomizes differentiation. The meta-ethnographic process is used to synthesize CGI as differentiation, specifically within the elementary mathematics classroom. Thomas P. Carpenter is credited as one…

An Emic Lens into Online Learning Environments in PPL in Undergraduate Dentistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridges, Susan

2015-01-01

Whilst face-to-face tutorial group interaction has been the focus of quantitative and qualitative studies in problem-based learning (PBL), little work has explored the independent learning phase of the PBL cycle from an interactionist perspective. An interactional ethnographic logic of inquiry guided collection and analysis of video recordings and…

An Examination of High School Students' Disparate Academic Performance in the Bahamas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCartney, Donald M.

2013-01-01

The qualitative, historical, ethnographic study explored the perceived disparity between the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination and The Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) and the disparity in the academic achievement of high school students who took the GCE examination and those who took the BGCSE…

Sailing the Stormy Seas: The Illness Experience of Persons with Parkinson's Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley-Hermanns, Melinda; Engebretson, Joan

2010-01-01

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive disorder with no known cause or promising cure. While substantial information is known about the pathophysiology, little is known about the illness experience of living with the disease. A qualitative study using an ethnographic approach was conducted to provide a rich understanding of the illness…

Language Genre Transitions in a Secondary School Physics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, M. W.; Ellerton, N. F.

2007-01-01

The research reported in this paper addressed the nature of transitions between language genres in school physics. In this qualitative study, quasi-ethnographic methods were employed to understand the culture of one secondary school physics classroom in the USA. One teacher and his physics students were the participants. The teacher was…

Maternal Perceptions of Care-Giving of Children with Developmental Disabilities in the United Arab Emirates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crabtree, Sara Ashencaen

2007-01-01

Background: This qualitative study discusses family care-giving of children with developmental disabilities in the United Arab Emirates. Findings were reviewed in terms of the influence of culture on gender norms governing parental behaviour and aspirations. Method: An ethnographic approach is used in which parent participants were interviewed…

Social Class as Flow and Mutability: The Barbados Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenhalgh-Spencer, Heather; Castro, Michelle; Bulut, Ergin; Goel, Koeli; Lin, Chunfeng; McCarthy, Cameron

2015-01-01

This article draws on ethnographic research that examines the contemporary articulation of class identity in the postcolonial elite school setting of Old College high school in Barbados. From the qualitative data derived from this study, we argue that social class is better conceived as a series of flows, mutations, performances and performatives.…

Interacting with… What? Exploring Children's Social and Sensory Practices in a Science Discovery Centre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dicks, Bella

2013-01-01

This paper presents findings from a qualitative UK study exploring the social practices of schoolchildren visiting an interactive science discovery centre. It is promoted as a place for "learning through doing", but the multi-modal, ethnographic methods adopted suggest that children were primarily engaged in (1) sensory pleasure-taking…

Students Using Handheld Computers to Learn Collaboratively in a First Grade Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fritz, Megan Lynne

2005-01-01

This ethnographic study investigated how first grade students used handheld computers to learn in collaboration with others throughout the learning process. This research focused specifically on how the use of handheld computers impacts students' learning outcomes and relates to technology standards. A qualitative methodology was used to capture…

Impact of Selection Practices on Career Advancement of African American Women in Community College Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yancy-Tooks, Barbara J.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to explore the experiences of African American women about their perceptions of factors (i.e. senior administrator selection practices, institutional practices, barriers, and coping strategies) that hinder or facilitate advancement in community college administration. The following questions…

Illustrating a Mixed-Method Approach for Validating Culturally Specific Constructs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitchcock, J.H.; Nastasi, B.K.; Dai, D.Y.; Newman, J.; Jayasena, A.; Bernstein-Moore, R.; Sarkar, S.; Varjas, K.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this article is to illustrate a mixed-method approach (i.e., combining qualitative and quantitative methods) for advancing the study of construct validation in cross-cultural research. The article offers a detailed illustration of the approach using the responses 612 Sri Lankan adolescents provided to an ethnographic survey. Such…

Ethical and effective ethnographic research methods: a case study with afghan refugees in California.

PubMed

Smith, Valerie J

2009-09-01

SCHOLARLY STUDIES OF REFUGEES and other vulnerable populations carry special ethical concerns. In this invited case study of Afghan refugees in Fremont, California, I provide illustrations and recommendations of ethical research methods with refugees. I also compare and contrast some ethical issues in the U.S. with issues in Thailand. The qualitative, ethnographic methods I report here demonstrate how to conduct culturally sensitive investigations by ethically approaching gatekeepers and other community members to preserve autonomy, ensure confidentiality, build trust, and improve the accuracy of interpretations and results. Six groups at risk for being marginalized in multiple ways within refugee populations are described. Ten best practices are recommended for ethically acquiring an in-depth understanding of the refugees, their community, and appropriate research methods.

"Just Doing Stuff"? Place, Memory and Young Men's Educational Disaffection in a Former Coal-Mining Area in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bright, N. Geoffrey

2010-01-01

In this article, the author explores some particularly "luminous" paradoxes that have emerged from qualitative material gathered as part of an ethnographic study carried out over the last five years. The research, now a doctoral study, grew initially out of the author's own contradictory experiences of running learning provision in the…

Talking to Teenagers: Using Anthropological Methods to Explore Identity and the Lifeworlds of Young People Who Use AAC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wickenden, Mary

2011-01-01

The article outlines the methodology used in an ethnographic study of identity with teenagers who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It is unusual to investigate this population in naturalistic contexts using qualitative methods. Nine individuals are studied, in a range of contexts using ethnography as the main method. The…

Patient and family perspectives on peritoneal dialysis at home: findings from an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Baillie, Jessica; Lankshear, Annette

2015-01-01

To discuss findings from an ethnographic study, considering the experiences of patients and families, using peritoneal dialysis at home in the United Kingdom. Peritoneal dialysis is a daily, life-preserving treatment for end-stage renal disease, undertaken in the patient's home. With ever-growing numbers of patients requiring treatment for this condition, the increased use of peritoneal dialysis is being promoted. While it is known that quality of life is reduced when using dialysis, few studies have sought to explore experiences of peritoneal dialysis specifically. No previous studies were identified that adopted an ethnographic approach. A qualitative design was employed, utilising ethnographic methodology. Ethical and governance approvals were gained in November 2010 and data were generated in 2011. Patients (n = 16) and their relatives (n = 9) were interviewed and observed using peritoneal dialysis in their homes. Thematic analysis was undertaken using Wolcott's (1994) three stage process: Description, Analysis and Interpretation. This article describes four themes: initiating peritoneal dialysis; the constraints of peritoneal dialysis due to medicalisation of the home environment and the imposition of rigid timetables; the uncertainty of managing crises and inevitable deterioration; and seeking freedom through creativity and hope of a kidney transplant. This study highlights the culture of patients and their families living with peritoneal dialysis. Despite the challenges posed by the treatment, participants were grateful they were able to self-manage at home. Furthermore, ethnographic methods offer an appropriate and meaningful way of considering how patients live with home technologies. Participants reported confusion about kidney transplantation and also how to identify peritonitis, and ongoing education from nurses and other healthcare professionals is thus vital. Opportunities for sharing experiences of peritoneal dialysis were valued by participants and further peer-support services should thus be considered. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research: Reflections on the Research Approach Used to Understand the Complexity of Maternal Health Issues in South Sudan

PubMed Central

Elmusharaf, Khalifa; Byrne, Elaine; Manandhar, Mary; Hemmings, Joanne; O’Donovan, Diarmuid

2016-01-01

Many methodological approaches have been used to understand cultural dimensions to maternal health issues. Although a well-designed quantitative survey with a representative sample can provide essential information on trends in behavior, it does not necessarily establish a contextualized understanding of the complexity in which different behaviors occur. This article addresses how contextualized data can be collected in a short time and under conditions in which participants in conflict-affected zones might not have established, or time to establish, trust with the researchers. The solution, the Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) approach, is illustrated through a study whereby South Sudanese marginalized women were trained to design research instruments, and collect and analyze qualitative data. PEER overcomes the problem that many ethnographic or participatory approaches face—the extensive time and resources required to develop trusting relationships with the community to understand the local context and the social networks they form. PMID:27811290

Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research: Reflections on the Research Approach Used to Understand the Complexity of Maternal Health Issues in South Sudan.

PubMed

Elmusharaf, Khalifa; Byrne, Elaine; Manandhar, Mary; Hemmings, Joanne; O'Donovan, Diarmuid

2017-07-01

Many methodological approaches have been used to understand cultural dimensions to maternal health issues. Although a well-designed quantitative survey with a representative sample can provide essential information on trends in behavior, it does not necessarily establish a contextualized understanding of the complexity in which different behaviors occur. This article addresses how contextualized data can be collected in a short time and under conditions in which participants in conflict-affected zones might not have established, or time to establish, trust with the researchers. The solution, the Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) approach, is illustrated through a study whereby South Sudanese marginalized women were trained to design research instruments, and collect and analyze qualitative data. PEER overcomes the problem that many ethnographic or participatory approaches face-the extensive time and resources required to develop trusting relationships with the community to understand the local context and the social networks they form.

"We Speak English in Here and English Only!": Teacher and ELL Youth Perspectives on Restrictive Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredricks, Daisy E.; Warriner, Doris S.

2016-01-01

This study operationalizes Ruiz's language orientations framework (1984) and builds on his later work (e.g., 1997, 2008) by examining the ways in which local language policies influence the learning experiences of 12 multilingual youth and the teaching experiences of four of their classroom teachers. Using ethnographic and qualitative research…

Dominicanas entre La Gran Manzana y Quisqueya: Family, Schooling, and Language Learning in a Transnational Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Tracy

2009-01-01

Drawing from a one-year qualitative research study, this article explores the transnational lives and experiences of three young women and their little sisters in New York with close ties to the Dominican Republic. Using ethnographic research methods--life history interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and document analysis, I examine…

The Role of Aesthetic Artifacts in Creative Writing Research: Casting Student Identity Narratives as Cultural Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Christine I.

2014-01-01

Drawing upon a postmodern ethnographic approach, the modes of inquiry into this qualitative study included observation and data analysis in order to represent a particular community of students: first year college freshmen from a mid-size, religiously-affiliated university in the southern United States. The methods included artifact…

Conformity and Resistance in Self-Management Strategies of "Good Girls"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Jackie; Munford, Robyn

2008-01-01

This article examines how girls manage challenging encounters with non-familial adults. Drawing on a subset of qualitative data collected as part of a larger ethnographic study, it examines the ways girls maintain a strong sense of self as a good person in the face of interpersonal challenge from these non-familial adults. The discourse of the…

Influence of Parental Education and Family Income on Children's Education in Rural Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drajea, Alice J.; O'Sullivan, Carmel

2014-01-01

This article investigates the effect of parents' literacy levels and family income in Uganda on the quality and nature of parents' involvement in their children's primary education. A mixed-methods study with an ethnographic element was employed to explore the views and opinions of 21 participants through a qualitative approach. Methods for data…

One Good Look Deserves Another: Combining Methodologies to Describe Classrooms. Report No. 5084.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kugle, C. L.; Clements, R. O.

Qualitative and quantitative methodology in classroom observation were combined in this study that examined nine second grade reading classes. Each classroom was observed by an ethnographer and a classroom coder ten times throughout the year, and each observation lasted 90 minutes. For each classroom, four of the ten observations were also…

Engaging the Community Cultural Wealth of Latino Immigrant Families in a Community-Based Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gil, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study utilizing ethnographic methods was to understand how family members' participation in Digital Home, a community-based technology program in an urban mid-sized Midwestern city, built on and fostered Latino immigrant families' community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005) in order to increase their abilities to…

The Challenges of Adopting the Learning Organisation Philosophy in a Singapore School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Retna, Kala S.; Tee, Ng Pak

2006-01-01

Purpose: To report on a case study that examines how the Learning Organisation (LO) concept can be applied in a Singapore school and the challenges that the school faces in the process. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research inquiry was adopted using ethnographic methods. Data includes in-depth face-to-face interviews, observation of…

Destination, Imagination and the Fires within: Design Thinking in a Middle School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Maureen; Goldman, Shelley; Britos, Leticia; Koh, Jaime; Royalty, Adam; Hornstein, Michael

2010-01-01

The purpose of the Taking Design Thinking to Schools Research Project was to extend the knowledge base that contributes to an improved understanding of the role of design thinking in K-12 classrooms. The ethnographic qualitative study focused on the implementation of an interdisciplinary design curriculum by a team of university instructors in a…

The Varying Vulnerability of African Orphans: The Case of the Langi, Northern Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oleke, Christopher; Blystad, Astrid; Moland, Karen Marie; Rekdal, Ole Bjorn; Heggenhougen, Kristian

2006-01-01

This article is based on a qualitative study carried out in Lira District, northern Uganda, to assess the situation of orphans cared for in extended families. The objective of the article is to bring attention to the varying vulnerability of different categories of orphans. The methods employed in data collection included ethnographic fieldwork,…

Student's Social Interaction in Inquiry-Based Science Education: How Experiences of Flow Can Increase Motivation and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellwood, Robin; Abrams, Eleanor

2018-01-01

This research investigated how student social interactions within two approaches to an inquiry-based science curriculum could be related to student motivation and achievement outcomes. This qualitative case study consisted of two cases, Off-Campus and On-Campus, and used ethnographic techniques of participant observation. Research participants…

Family Members Providing Home-Based Palliative Care to Older Adults: The Enactment of Multiple Roles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clemmer, Sarah J.; Ward-Griffin, Catherine; Forbes, Dorothy

2008-01-01

Canadians are experiencing increased life expectancy and chronic illness requiring end-of-life care. There is limited research on the multiple roles for family members providing home-based palliative care. Based on a larger ethnographic study of client-family-provider relationships in home-based palliative care, this qualitative secondary analysis…

A Preliminary Methodology, and a Cautionary Tale, for Determining How Students Seek Research Help Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellegrino, Catherine

2014-01-01

This article reports on a pilot study to examine undergraduate students' help-seeking behavior when undertaking library research in online courses. A novel methodology incorporating elements of ethnographic research resulted in a small, but rich and detailed, collection of qualitative data. The data suggest that the methodology has promise for…

Extending Beyond Qualitative Interviewing to Illuminate the Tacit Nature of Everyday Occupation: Occupational Mapping and Participatory Occupation Methods.

PubMed

Huot, Suzanne; Rudman, Debbie Laliberte

2015-07-01

The study of human occupation requires a variety of methods to fully elucidate its complex, multifaceted nature. Although qualitative approaches have commonly been used within occupational therapy and occupational science, we contend that such qualitative research must extend beyond the sole use of interviews. Drawing on qualitative methodological literature, we discuss the limits of interview methods and outline other methods, particularly visual methods, as productive means to enhance qualitative research. We then provide an overview of our critical ethnographic study that used narrative, visual, and observational methods to explore the occupational transitions experienced by immigrants to Canada. We describe our use of occupational mapping and participatory occupation methods and the contributions of these combined methods. We conclude that adopting a variety of methods can enable a deeper understanding of the tacit nature of everyday occupation, and is key to advancing knowledge regarding occupation and to informing occupational therapy practice.

Ethnographic methods for process evaluations of complex health behaviour interventions.

PubMed

Morgan-Trimmer, Sarah; Wood, Fiona

2016-05-04

This article outlines the contribution that ethnography could make to process evaluations for trials of complex health-behaviour interventions. Process evaluations are increasingly used to examine how health-behaviour interventions operate to produce outcomes and often employ qualitative methods to do this. Ethnography shares commonalities with the qualitative methods currently used in health-behaviour evaluations but has a distinctive approach over and above these methods. It is an overlooked methodology in trials of complex health-behaviour interventions that has much to contribute to the understanding of how interventions work. These benefits are discussed here with respect to three strengths of ethnographic methodology: (1) producing valid data, (2) understanding data within social contexts, and (3) building theory productively. The limitations of ethnography within the context of process evaluations are also discussed.

Work environments and HIV prevention: a qualitative review and meta-synthesis of sex worker narratives.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Shira M; Duff, Putu; Krusi, Andrea

2015-12-16

Sex workers (SWs) experience a disproportionately high burden of HIV, with evidence indicating that complex and dynamic factors within work environments play a critical role in mitigating or producing HIV risks in sex work. In light of sweeping policy efforts to further criminalize sex work globally, coupled with emerging calls for structural responses situated in labour and human-rights frameworks, this meta-synthesis of the qualitative and ethnographic literature sought to examine SWs' narratives to elucidate the ways in which physical, social and policy features of diverse work environments influence SWs' agency to engage in HIV prevention. We conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative and ethnographic studies published from 2008 to 2014 to elucidate SWs' narratives and lived experiences of the complex and nuanced ways in which physical, social, and policy features of indoor and outdoor work environments shape HIV prevention in the sex industry. Twenty-four qualitative and/or ethnographic studies were included in this meta-synthesis. SWs' narratives revealed the nuanced ways that physical, social, and policy features of work environments shaped HIV risk and interacted with macrostructural constraints (e.g., criminalization, stigma) and community determinants (e.g., sex worker empowerment initiatives) to shape SWs' agency in negotiating condom use. SWs' narratives revealed the ways in which the existence of occupational health and safety standards in indoor establishments, as well as protective practices of third parties (e.g., condom promotion) and other SWs/peers were critical ways of enhancing safety and sexual risk negotiation within indoor work environments. Additionally, working in settings where negative interactions with law enforcement were minimized (e.g., working in decriminalized contexts or environments in which peers/managers successfully deterred unjust policing practices) was critical for supporting SWs' agency to negotiate HIV prevention. Policy reforms to remove punitive approaches to sex work, ensure supportive workplace standards and policies, and foster SWs' ability to work collectively are recommended to foster the realization of SWs' health and human rights across diverse settings. Future qualitative and mixed-methods research is recommended to ensure that HIV policies and programmes are grounded in SWs' voices and realities, particularly in more under-represented regions such as Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Social Interactions of Students with Disabilities in a 5th Grade Level Inclusive Classroom and the Effect on Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall-Reed, Estella

2010-01-01

This dissertation is a qualitative, ethnographic case study of 3 students with disabilities. The purpose of this research study was to observe and collect descriptive accounts of the social interactions that exist between the cultures in a 5th grade level inclusive classroom, such as the interactions between the special education students, general…

"That's Why I Say Stay in School": Black Mothers' Parental Involvement, Cultural Wealth, and Exclusion in Their Son's Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Quaylan; White-Smith, Kimberly

2018-01-01

This study examines parental involvement practices, the cultural wealth, and school experiences of poor and working-class mothers of Black boys. Drawing upon data from an ethnographic study, we examine qualitative interviews with four Black mothers. Using critical race theory and cultural wealth frameworks, we explore the mothers' approaches to…

Does a Nurturing Approach That Uses an Outdoor Play Environment Build Resilience in Children from a Challenging Background?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McArdle, Karen; Harrison, Terri; Harrison, Daniel

2013-01-01

Children from challenging backgrounds were brought to a woodland for a programme that sought to promote resilience at Camphill School. This qualitative study of one programme uses an ethnographic approach to research the effectiveness of this type of intervention. Case studies of three of the children are used to illustrate the ways in which…

Transformational Leadership: An Ethnographic Study of Principals' Influence on Instructional Effectiveness of Teaching English Language Learners in Select Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Christie M.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study was designed to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of the principal in successfully improving English Language Learner (ELL) educational outcomes in high poverty schools based on interviews with five elementary principals who were employed by Hillsboro School District during the SET-R grant from school years…

Representations of Death Among Italian Vegetarians: An Ethnographic Research on Environment, Disgust and Transcendence.

PubMed

Testoni, Ines; Ghellar, Tommaso; Rodelli, Maddalena; De Cataldo, Loriana; Zamperini, Adriano

2017-08-01

This paper focuses on the motives for vegetarian choices in contemporary Italian food culture, with specific reference to the role of the representations of death. The study adopts a qualitative research design aimed at an in-depth exploration of the reasons for avoiding meat, following an ethnographic method. Twenty-two participants (55% women, 45% men) aged 19-74, all vegetarians or vegans, mainly from Northern and Central Italy, were involved. Data from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were examined according to the qualitative thematic analysis: the results show the role of death in the construction of disgust towards meat, running parallel with an emphasis on spirituality, ethical treatment of animals and the environment as reasons for avoiding meat, in particular, the concern-generating disgust and its relationship with the representation of death as a contaminating essence. The basis of disgust lies in this connection, from which the idea that oral consumption of contaminants characterized by corruptive properties, passing through the flesh of dead animals to humans, derives. The role of anti-speciesism is considered as a latent perspective, which may influence the vegetarian and vegan choices.

A "Responsibility to Speak Out": Perspectives on Writing from Black African-Born Male Youth with Limited or Disrupted Formal Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ripley Crandall, Bryan

2012-01-01

This ethnographic case study uses life history and qualitative methodologies to offer biographical profiles that highlight perspectives on writing of eight Black African-born male youth with limited and disrupted formal education enrolled at a secondary school in northeastern United States. Participants from Liberia, Sudan, and Somalia relocated…

The Role of Ethnic Religious Community Institutions in the Intergenerational Transmission of Korean among Immigrant Students in Montreal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Seong Man

2011-01-01

This paper explores the influence of Korean ethnic churches on the maintenance of heritage language (HL) and culture among Korean-Canadian students. The ethnographic and qualitative study on which it is based involved participant observation over a 4-month period, group discussions, interviews, and a questionnaire. Participants were 15 immigrant…

Girls' Sexual Development in the Inner City: From Compelled Childhood Sexual Contact to Sex-for-Things Exchanges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Eloise; Golub, Andrew; Johnson, Bruce D.

2003-01-01

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) has been linked to a wide variety of adverse psychological and behavioral outcomes. This paper describes girls' sexual development in the inner city based on qualitative material from a long-term ethnographic (observational) study. For many inner-city girls, early and then continued experiences of being compelled to have…

The Power of Metaphor in Qualitative Research: Building Community in a Kindergarten around the Large Table.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasconcelos, Teresa

Using as a starting point the painting "Las Meninas" by Velasquez, which depicts the painter within his painting, this paper discusses the interpretive paradigm in research and, within it, the value of metaphor as a research tool. Example situations from an ethnographic study of a master teacher and her kindergarten in Lisbon are used to…

"I'm Telling You ... The Language Barrier Is the Most, the Biggest Challenge": Barriers to Education among Karen Refugee Women in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Paula G.; Razee, Husna; Richters, Juliet

2012-01-01

This article examines factors influencing English language education, participation and achievement among Karen refugee women in Australia. Data were drawn from ethnographic observations and interviews with 67 participants between 2009 and 2011, collected as part of a larger qualitative study exploring the well-being of Karen refugee women in…

"I Am a Scientist": How Setting Conditions That Enhance Focused Concentration Positively Relate to Student Motivation and Achievement Outcomes in Inquiry-Based Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellwood, Robin B.

2013-01-01

This research investigated how student social interactions within two approaches to an inquiry-based science curriculum could be related to student motivation and achievement outcomes. This qualitative case study consisted of two cases, Off-Campus and On-Campus, and used ethnographic techniques of participant observation. Research participants…

Elevating the Role of Race in Ethnographic Research: Navigating Race Relations in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Keffrelyn D.

2011-01-01

Little work in the social sciences or in the field of education has fully explored the methodological issues related to the study of race and racism, yet qualitative researchers acknowledge that race plays (and should play) a role in the research process. Indeed, race frames and informs the context, practices and perspectives of everyday lived…

"Where Is _______?": Culture and the Process of Change in the Development of Inclusive Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMaster, Christopher

2015-01-01

The modern school is a multi-layered and complex institution. For inclusive values and practices to embed in educational systems the nature of school culture and the change process must be considered. Qualitative data was gathered during a year-long ethnographic study of inclusive change in a co-educational high school. This paper applies a model…

Methods of mapping ethnographic data on migration, tourism labor, and health risk in the Dominican Republic.

PubMed

Livingston, Karina; Padilla, Mark; Scott, Derrick; Colón-Burgos, José Félix; Reyes, Armando Matiz; Varas-Díaz, Nelson

This paper focuses on a mixed-method approach to quantifying qualitative data from the results of an ongoing NIDA-funded ethnographic study entitled "Migration, Tourism, and the HIV/Drug-Use Syndemic in the Dominican Republic". This project represents the first large-scale mixed method study to identify social, structural, environmental, and demographic factors that may contribute to ecologies of health vulnerability within the Caribbean tourism zones. Our research has identified deportation history as a critical factor contributing to vulnerability to HIV, drugs, mental health problems, and other health conditions. Therefore, understanding the movements of our participants became a vital aspect of this research. This paper describes how we went about translating 37 interviews into visual geographic representations. These methods help develop possible strategies for confronting HIV/AIDS and problematic substance use by examining the ways that these epidemics are shaped by the realities of people's labor migration and the spaces they inhabit. Our methods for mapping this qualitative data contribute to the ongoing, broadening capabilities of using GIS in social science research. A key contribution of this work is its integration of different methodologies from various disciplines to help better understand complex social problems.

Methods of mapping ethnographic data on migration, tourism labor, and health risk in the Dominican Republic

PubMed Central

Livingston, Karina; Padilla, Mark; Scott, Derrick; Colón-Burgos, José Félix; Reyes, Armando Matiz; Varas-Díaz, Nelson

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on a mixed-method approach to quantifying qualitative data from the results of an ongoing NIDA-funded ethnographic study entitled “Migration, Tourism, and the HIV/Drug-Use Syndemic in the Dominican Republic”. This project represents the first large-scale mixed method study to identify social, structural, environmental, and demographic factors that may contribute to ecologies of health vulnerability within the Caribbean tourism zones. Our research has identified deportation history as a critical factor contributing to vulnerability to HIV, drugs, mental health problems, and other health conditions. Therefore, understanding the movements of our participants became a vital aspect of this research. This paper describes how we went about translating 37 interviews into visual geographic representations. These methods help develop possible strategies for confronting HIV/AIDS and problematic substance use by examining the ways that these epidemics are shaped by the realities of people’s labor migration and the spaces they inhabit. Our methods for mapping this qualitative data contribute to the ongoing, broadening capabilities of using GIS in social science research. A key contribution of this work is its integration of different methodologies from various disciplines to help better understand complex social problems. PMID:27656039

A Meta-ethnography: Skin-to-Skin Holding From the Caregiver's Perspective.

PubMed

Vittner, Dorothy; Casavant, Sharon; McGrath, Jacqueline M

2015-06-01

Although the benefits of skin-to-skin care (SSC) are well documented in the literature, practices in the clinical setting remain inconsistent. Although nurses' reported knowledge about SSC has improved, confusion still exists regarding safety and appropriateness. Existing qualitative literature primarily focuses on parents' experiences; yet it is crucial to describe the essence of professional caregivers' experiences to enhance facilitation and implementation of SSC. Most studies surrounding the caregiver's perspective and SSC have focused on barriers that impede implementation or examined the experience from the organizational perspective and general group experiences rather than individual personal experiences with SSC. This meta-ethnography integrated the findings from several discrete studies into a salient interpretative perspective, creating a relevant understanding of the process of SSC as a means of enhancing facilitation and implementation of SSC with hospitalized infants. An ethnographic meta-synthesis of qualitative literature was completed. As a result of this synthesis, the caregivers' experiences were separated into themes to articulate the phenomena juxtaposed from the 8 original studies that influence facilitation of SSC for the parent-infant dyad. Qualitative data analysis uncovered 4 overarching themes: (1) varying thresholds of getting started; (2) defining adequate resources; (3) navigating the demands and complexity of the infant; and (4) balancing parental readiness with infant needs. This ethnographic meta-synthesis confirms nurses have good intentions in supporting SSC practices, yet struggle to meet competing demands in their daily practice. Innovative and practical translations of SSC are needed to normalize SSC as the daily standard for premature infants.

Political Possibilities: Lessons from the Undocumented Youth Movement for Resistance to the Trump Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negrón-Gonzales, Genevieve

2017-01-01

Part-reflection, part-qualitative analysis, the author draws on ten years of qualitative and ethnographic research on undocumented young people in order to make sense of the political possibilities in this moment. I posit there is much to be learned from these undocumented young activists and their struggle as we consider how to respond to the…

Co-Designing and Co-Teaching Graduate Qualitative Methods: An Innovative Ethnographic Workshop Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordner, Alissa; Klein, Peter T.; Baiocchi, Gianpaolo

2012-01-01

This article describes an innovative collaboration between graduate students and a faculty member to co-design and co-teach a graduate-level workshop-style qualitative methods course. The goal of co-designing and co-teaching the course was to involve advanced graduate students in all aspects of designing a syllabus and leading class discussions in…

Integrating service development with evaluation in telehealthcare: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Finch, Tracy; May, Carl; Mair, Frances; Mort, Maggie; Gask, Linda

2003-11-22

To identify issues that facilitate the successful integration of evaluation and development of telehealthcare services. Ethnographic study using various qualitative research techniques to obtain data from several sources, including in-depth semistructured interviews, project steering group meetings, and public telehealthcare meetings. Seven telehealthcare evaluation projects (four randomised controlled trials and three pragmatic service evaluations) in the United Kingdom, studied over two years. Projects spanned a range of specialties-dermatology, psychiatry, respiratory medicine, cardiology, and oncology. Clinicians, managers, technical experts, and researchers involved in the projects. Key problems in successfully integrating evaluation and service development in telehealthcare are, firstly, defining existing clinical practices (and anticipating changes) in ways that permit measurement; secondly, managing additional workload and conflicting responsibilities brought about by combining clinical and research responsibilities (including managing risk); and, thirdly, understanding various perspectives on effectiveness and the limitations of evaluation results beyond the context of the research study. Combined implementation and evaluation of telehealthcare systems is complex, and is often underestimated. The distinction between quantitative outcomes and the workability of the system is important for producing evaluative knowledge that is of practical value. More pragmatic approaches to evaluation, that permit both quantitative and qualitative methods, are required to improve the quality of such research and its relevance for service provision in the NHS.

A meta-ethnographic synthesis of fathers' experiences of complicated births that are potentially traumatic.

PubMed

Elmir, Rakime; Schmied, Virginia

2016-01-01

birth is a natural and for many, life enhancing phenomenon. In rare circumstances however birth can be accompanied with complications that may place the mother and infant at risk of severe trauma or death. Witnessing birth complications or obstetric emergencies can be distressing and potentially traumatic for the father. the aim of this paper is to report on the findings of a meta-ethnographic synthesis of father's experiences of complicated births that are potentially traumatic. databases searched included CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed and PsycINFO with Full Text. The search was conducted in February and March 2013 and revised in February 2015 for any new papers, and the search was limited to papers published in English, full text and peer-reviewed journals published between January 2000 to December 2013. studies were included if they focused on fathers/men's experiences of witnessing a birth with complications including a caesarean section or an adverse obstetric event. Studies included needed to use qualitative or mixed methods research designs with a substantial qualitative component. ANALYTIC STRATEGY: a meta-ethnographic approach was used using methods of reciprocal translation guided by the work of Noblit and Hare (1988) on meta-ethnographic techniques. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. eight qualitative studies with a total of 100 participants were included in the final sample. The men ranged in age from 19 to 50 years. Four major themes were identified: 'the unfolding crisis', 'stripped of my role: powerless and helpless', 'craving information' and 'scarring the relationship'. Participants described the fear and anxiety they felt as well as having a sense of worthlessness and inadequacy. Men did not receive sufficient information about the unfolding events and subsequently this birth experience impacted on some men's interactions and relationships with their partners. witnessing a complicated or unexpected adverse birth experience can be distressing for men and some may report symptoms of birth trauma. Being informed by and receiving support from midwives and other health professionals appears to help mitigate the negative impact of birth complications. Effective support may help address men's confusion about their role, however genuinely including men as recipients of care or service in pregnancy, labour and birth raises important questions about whether the father is also a recipient of maternity care and if the transition to fatherhood is itself becoming a medical event? Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Informed consent for blood tests in people with a learning disability.

PubMed

Goldsmith, Lesley; Woodward, Val; Jackson, Leigh; Skirton, Heather

2013-09-01

This article is a report of a study of informed consent in people with a learning disability. The aims of the study were to explore the information needs of people with mild-to-moderate learning disabilities with respect to consent for blood tests and to identify ways of facilitating informed consent. The recent political agenda for social change in the UK has emphasized the right of people with a learning disability to have more autonomy and make their own decisions. As in other countries, there has also been a shift towards shared decision-making in healthcare practice. Qualitative study using an ethnographic approach. An ethnographic approach was used for this qualitative study. Phase 1 involved observation of six participants with a learning disability having a routine blood test in general practice, followed by semi-structured interviews with 14 participants with a learning disability in Phase 2. Data were collected between February 2009-February 2010. The data showed that consent procedures were often inadequate and provision of information to patients prior to a blood test was variable. People with a learning disability expressed clearly their information requirements when having a routine blood test; this included not wanting any information in some cases. Healthcare practitioners and people with a learning disability need to be familiar with current consent law in their own country to facilitate valid consent in the healthcare context. This study demonstrated the value of qualitative research in exploring the knowledge and attitudes of people with learning disability. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

"What Do You Think We Should Do?": Relationship and Reflexivity in Participant Observation.

PubMed

Elliot, Michelle L

2015-07-01

This article uses three concepts as a framework by which to examine how the interrelational elements of ethnographic approaches to qualitative inquiry reflect dimensions of therapeutic engagement. Participant observation, reflexivity, and context are all widely and routinely included within research methods; however, they are less frequently attended to directly in their experiential capacity through the lens of the researcher, clinician turned investigator. A unique study design will be profiled to reflect the complicated juxtaposition between methods, questions, sample population, time, space, and identity. Studying occupational therapy students traveling abroad for a short-term immersion experience, this narrative study called on a necessary and attentive awareness of locality as the researcher traveled with the group. Conducting ethnographic research where the researcher's therapeutic skills aided and constrained relationships resulted in rich, guarded, and relevant insights that parallel the therapeutic use of self in occupational therapy practice.

An ethnographic exploration of postoperative pain experiences among Ghanaian surgical patients.

PubMed

Aziato, Lydia; Adejumo, Oluyinka

2015-05-01

The experience of pain associated with surgery has been a challenge for health care professionals for many years, and culture is said to influence pain. This study focused on patients' experiences of postoperative pain (POP) and factors that affect POP. The study employed qualitative ethnographic principles. Data were collected through individual face-to-face interviews. Data were saturated after analyzing data from 13 patients from two hospitals in Ghana. Themes that emerged were the subjective nature of pain, which described pain dimensions and communication; psycho-sociocultural factors, such as personal inclinations and sociocultural background; and health system factors, such as personnel attitudes and health financing. Health professionals need to understand the sociocultural effects of pain in order to give effective care. The study highlighted the need for patient education and the importance that health care professionals understand context-specific factors that influence POP management. © The Author(s) 2014.

Diagnosing dementia: Ethnography, interactional ethics and everyday moral reasoning.

PubMed

Hillman, Alexandra

2017-02-01

This article highlights the contribution of ethnography and qualitative sociology to the ethical challenges that frame the diagnosis of dementia. To illustrate this contribution, the paper draws on an ethnographic study of UK memory clinics carried out between 2012 and 2014. The ethnographic data, set alongside other studies and sociological theory, contest the promotion of a traditional view of autonomy; the limiting of the point of ethical interest to a distinct moment of diagnosis disclosure; and the failure to recognise risk and uncertainty in the building of clinical 'facts' and their communication. In addressing these specific concerns, this article contributes to the wider debate over the relationship between sociology and bioethics (medical ethics). At the heart of these debates lies more fundamental questions: how can we best understand and shape moral decision-making and ethics that guide behaviour in medical practice, and what should be the guiding ideas, concepts and methods to inform ethics in the clinic? Using the case of dementia diagnosis, this article illustrates the benefits of an ethnographic approach, not just for understanding this ethical problem but also for exploring if and how a more empirically informed ethics can help shape healthcare practices for the better.

Diagnosing dementia: Ethnography, interactional ethics and everyday moral reasoning

PubMed Central

Hillman, Alexandra

2016-01-01

This article highlights the contribution of ethnography and qualitative sociology to the ethical challenges that frame the diagnosis of dementia. To illustrate this contribution, the paper draws on an ethnographic study of UK memory clinics carried out between 2012 and 2014. The ethnographic data, set alongside other studies and sociological theory, contest the promotion of a traditional view of autonomy; the limiting of the point of ethical interest to a distinct moment of diagnosis disclosure; and the failure to recognise risk and uncertainty in the building of clinical ‘facts’ and their communication. In addressing these specific concerns, this article contributes to the wider debate over the relationship between sociology and bioethics (medical ethics). At the heart of these debates lies more fundamental questions: how can we best understand and shape moral decision-making and ethics that guide behaviour in medical practice, and what should be the guiding ideas, concepts and methods to inform ethics in the clinic? Using the case of dementia diagnosis, this article illustrates the benefits of an ethnographic approach, not just for understanding this ethical problem but also for exploring if and how a more empirically informed ethics can help shape healthcare practices for the better. PMID:28255279

Legally Brown: Using Ethnographic Methods to Understand Sun Protection Attitudes and Behaviours among Young Australians "I Didn't Mean to Get Burnt--It Just Happened!"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potente, Sofia; Coppa, Kay; Williams, Ainslie; Engels, Rob

2011-01-01

Sun protection is not commonly perceived as an important issue by adolescents yet this behaviour would, if adopted, confer significant lifelong protection against skin cancer. Despite the world's highest skin cancer rates, Australia remains a culture which values sun seeking, tanning and outdoor activities. This qualitative study used ethnographic…

The Rights of the Child and "The Good of the Learners": A Comparative Ethnographical Survey on the Abolition of Corporal Punishment in South African Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payet, Jean-Paul; Franchi, Vije

2008-01-01

In contemporary South Africa, the abolition of corporal punishment symbolizes a break with the previous schooling system. A qualitative study in four formerly segregated schools south of Johannesburg showcases different realities and discourses on corporal punishment. The practices vary from its total abolition to its continued maintenance. Most…

Reflecting on the Strategic Use of CAQDAS to Manage and Report on the Qualitative Research Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wickham, Mark; Woods, Megan

2005-01-01

As an increasing number of researchers have been trained to use programs such as Atlas/ti, NUD*IST, Nvivo, and ETHNOGRAPH their value in analyzing qualitative data has gained greater recognition. Drawing on the experience of two PhD candidates at the University of Tasmania, this paper reflects upon some potential uses of a suite of computer…

Lifestyle, Dwelling Conditions and Daily Routine as Qualitative Indicators of Infant Development: A Study of 0-3 Years Old Children from Rural Brazilian Northeast.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabinovich, Elaine Pedreira

The developing child and his/her eco-social-cultural context is the focus of study of 28 children ages 0-3 years in the rural area of Cocal, Piaui in Northeast Brazil. Ethnographic methods, naturalistic observations and semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain the physical context (the house and its surroundings), as well as maternal…

The conceptions of care among family caregivers of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Aga, Fekadu; Kylmä, Jari; Nikkonen, Merja

2009-01-01

This focused ethnographic study explores and describes the conceptions of care among family caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality is the conceptual anchor of this ethnographic study. Using semistructured interviews and participant observation, 6 key informants and 12 general informants were interviewed in their home in Amharic language. Data were analyzed in Amharic using Leininger's phases of ethnonursing analysis for qualitative data and then translated to English. Four major themes representing family caregivers' conceptions of care were identified: nourishing the PLWA while struggling with poverty, maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene of the person and surroundings, comforting the PLWA, and sacrificing self to sustain the PLWA. Valuable data were gathered about the family caregivers' conceptions of care. Nurses can use this knowledge to design and provide culturally congruent care to family caregivers and PLWAs in the community.

Contradictions and conflict: A meta-ethnographic study of migrant women’s experiences of breastfeeding in a new country

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Studies report mixed findings about rates of both exclusive and partial breastfeeding amongst women who are migrants or refugees in high income countries. It is important to understand the beliefs and experiences that impact on migrant and refugee women’s infant feeding decisions in order to appropriately support women to breastfeed in a new country. The aim of this paper is to report the findings of a meta-ethnographic study that explored migrant and refugee women’s experiences and practices related to breastfeeding in a new country. Methods CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Library with Full Text databases were searched for the period January 2000 to May 2012. Out of 2355 papers retrieved 11 met the inclusion criteria. A meta-ethnographic synthesis was undertaken using the analytic strategies and theme synthesis techniques of reciprocal translation and refutational investigation. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. Results Eight qualitative studies and three studies reporting both qualitative and quantitative data were included and one overarching theme emerged: ‘Breastfeeding in a new country: facing contradictions and conflict’. This theme comprised four sub-themes ‘Mother’s milk is best’; ‘Contradictions and conflict in breastfeeding practices’; ‘Producing breast milk requires energy and good health’; and ‘The dominant role of female relatives’. Migrant women who valued, but did not have access to, traditional postpartum practices, were more likely to cease breastfeeding. Women reported a clash between their individual beliefs and practices and the dominant practices in the new country, and also a tension with family members either in the country of origin or in the new country. Conclusion Migrant women experience tensions in their breastfeeding experience and require support from professionals who can sensitively address their individual needs. Strategies to engage grandmothers in educational opportunities may offer a novel approach to breastfeeding support. PMID:23270315

Pursuing Pleasures of Productivity: University Students' Use of Prescription Stimulants for Enhancement and the Moral Uncertainty of Making Work Fun.

PubMed

Petersen, Margit Anne; Nørgaard, Lotte Stig; Traulsen, Janine M

2015-12-01

This article presents ethnographic data on the use of prescription stimulants for enhancement purposes by university students in New York City. The study shows that students find stimulants a helpful tool in preventing procrastination, particularly in relation to feeling disinterested, overloaded, or insecure. Using stimulants, students seek pleasure in the study situation, for example, to get rid of unpleasant states of mind or intensify an already existing excitement. The article illustrates the notion that enhancement strategies do not only concern productivity in the quantitative sense of bettering results, performances, and opportunities. Students also measure their own success in terms of the qualitative experience of working hard. The article further argues that taking an ethnographic approach facilitates the study of norms in the making, as students experience moral uncertainty-not because they improve study skills and results-but because they enhance the study experience, making work fun. The article thereby seeks to nuance simplistic neoliberal ideas of personhood.

Immigrant women's experience of maternity services in Canada: a meta-ethnography.

PubMed

Higginbottom, Gina M A; Hadziabdic, Emina; Yohani, Sophie; Paton, Patricia

2014-05-01

to synthesise data on immigrant women's experiences of maternity services in Canada. a qualitative systematic literature review using a meta-ethnographic approach a comprehensive search strategy of multiple databases was employed in consultation with an information librarian, to identify qualitative research studies published in English or French between 1990 and December 2011 on maternity care experiences of immigrant women in Canada. A modified version of Noblit and Hare's meta-ethnographic theoretical approach was undertaken to develop an inductive and interpretive form of knowledge synthesis. The seven-phase process involved comparative textual analysis of published qualitative studies, including the translation of key concepts and meanings from one study to another to derive second and third-order concepts encompassing more than that offered by any individual study. ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis software was used to store and manage the studies and synthesise their findings. the literature search identified 393 papers, of which 22 met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised. The literature contained seven key concepts related to maternity service experiences including social (professional and informal) support, communication, socio-economic barriers, organisational environment, knowledge about maternity services and health care, cultural beliefs and practices, and different expectations between health care staff and immigrant women. Three second-order interpretations served as the foundation for two third-order interpretations. Societal positioning of immigrant women resulted in difficulties receiving high quality maternity health care. Maternity services were an experience in which cultural knowledge and beliefs, and religious and traditional preferences were highly relevant as well but often overlooked in Canadian maternity settings. in order to implement woman-centered care, to enhance access to maternity services, and to promote immigrant women's health, it is important to consider these women's social position, cultural knowledge and beliefs, and traditional customs in the health care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Combined Use of Computers and Audio Tape Recorders in Storing, Managing, and Using Qualitative Verbal Ethnographic Data. [Revised].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dow, James

Ways in which computers and audio tape recorder techniques were used to record, index, and present data collected during two summers of field work in a rural area of Mexico are described. The research goal was to study the Otomi Indian shamans. Two computers were used: the Honeywell 6800 DPS-2 and the Osborne-1 microcomputer. The database system…

Disability and Deservedness: The Lived Experience of Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the U.S. Armed Forces at a Military Treatment Facility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Deborah

2013-01-01

My work engages links between notions of disability and notions of deservedness; the ways in which they are consequential; and how they are constructed and sustained. For my dissertation research I studied a select group of people at two sites of high visibility and focused practice: I used ethnographic methodology to collect qualitative data…

Representations of Death Among Italian Vegetarians: An Ethnographic Research on Environment, Disgust and Transcendence

PubMed Central

Testoni, Ines; Ghellar, Tommaso; Rodelli, Maddalena; De Cataldo, Loriana; Zamperini, Adriano

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the motives for vegetarian choices in contemporary Italian food culture, with specific reference to the role of the representations of death. The study adopts a qualitative research design aimed at an in-depth exploration of the reasons for avoiding meat, following an ethnographic method. Twenty-two participants (55% women, 45% men) aged 19-74, all vegetarians or vegans, mainly from Northern and Central Italy, were involved. Data from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were examined according to the qualitative thematic analysis: the results show the role of death in the construction of disgust towards meat, running parallel with an emphasis on spirituality, ethical treatment of animals and the environment as reasons for avoiding meat, in particular, the concern-generating disgust and its relationship with the representation of death as a contaminating essence. The basis of disgust lies in this connection, from which the idea that oral consumption of contaminants characterized by corruptive properties, passing through the flesh of dead animals to humans, derives. The role of anti-speciesism is considered as a latent perspective, which may influence the vegetarian and vegan choices. PMID:28904591

Integrating service development with evaluation in telehealthcare: an ethnographic study

PubMed Central

Finch, Tracy; May, Carl; Mair, Frances; Mort, Maggie; Gask, Linda

2003-01-01

Objectives To identify issues that facilitate the successful integration of evaluation and development of telehealthcare services. Design Ethnographic study using various qualitative research techniques to obtain data from several sources, including in-depth semistructured interviews, project steering group meetings, and public telehealthcare meetings. Setting Seven telehealthcare evaluation projects (four randomised controlled trials and three pragmatic service evaluations) in the United Kingdom, studied over two years. Projects spanned a range of specialties—dermatology, psychiatry, respiratory medicine, cardiology, and oncology. Participants Clinicians, managers, technical experts, and researchers involved in the projects. Results and discussion Key problems in successfully integrating evaluation and service development in telehealthcare are, firstly, defining existing clinical practices (and anticipating changes) in ways that permit measurement; secondly, managing additional workload and conflicting responsibilities brought about by combining clinical and research responsibilities (including managing risk); and, thirdly, understanding various perspectives on effectiveness and the limitations of evaluation results beyond the context of the research study. Conclusions Combined implementation and evaluation of telehealthcare systems is complex, and is often underestimated. The distinction between quantitative outcomes and the workability of the system is important for producing evaluative knowledge that is of practical value. More pragmatic approaches to evaluation, that permit both quantitative and qualitative methods, are required to improve the quality of such research and its relevance for service provision in the NHS. PMID:14630758

Organizing "mountains of words" for data analysis, both qualitative and quantitative.

PubMed

Johnson, Bruce D; Dunlap, Eloise; Benoit, Ellen

2010-04-01

Qualitative research creates mountains of words. U.S. federal funding supports mostly structured qualitative research, which is designed to test hypotheses using semiquantitative coding and analysis. This article reports on strategies for planning, organizing, collecting, managing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and writing about qualitative data so as to most efficiently manage the mountains of words collected in large-scale ethnographic projects. Multiple benefits accrue from this approach. Field expenditures are linked to units of work so productivity is measured, many staff in various locations have access to use and analyze the data, quantitative data can be derived from data that is primarily qualitative, and improved efficiencies of resources are developed.

Sociocultural facilitators and barriers to condom use during anal sex among men who have sex with men in Guangzhou, China: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Li, Haochu; Lau, Joseph T F; Holroyd, Eleanor; Yi, Huso

2010-12-01

This ethnographic study explored how cultural belief systems shaped sexual risk practices among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Guangzhou, China. A specific focus was on how these men's sexual practices varied across sexual venues and among different partners in order to better understand sociocultural facilitators and barriers to condom use in the Guangzhou community. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews with MSM and ethnographic observations in MSM sexual venues in the city. The thematic analysis focused specifically on the accounts of unprotected sex occasions. We found that an erotic idea of "rouyu" (desire of physical flesh) embedded in a subculture of MSM and a metaphor for condom use as being inferior and promoting distance posed a considerable barrier to condom use among these MSM. Some men reported gaining a positive self-concept related to same-sex identity through unprotected sex. These MSM's subjective evaluations of HIV risk were closely tied to the perceived characteristics of sex partners and sexual venues. We conclude by advocating specific sociocultural interventions in emerging risk venues, such as saunas/bathhouses, to better meet the needs of the MSM community in Guangzhou.

Gender Determinants of Vaccination Status in Children: Evidence from a Meta-Ethnographic Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Biaggi, Christina; Secula, Florence; Bosch-Capblanch, Xavier; Namgyal, Pem; Hombach, Joachim

2015-01-01

Using meta-ethnographic methods, we conducted a systematic review of qualitative research to understand gender-related reasons at individual, family, community and health facility levels why millions of children in low and middle income countries are still not reached by routine vaccination programmes. A systematic search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Anthropological Lit, CSA databases, IBSS, ISI Web of Knowledge, JSTOR, Soc Index and Sociological Abstracts was conducted. Key words were built around the themes of immunization, vaccines, health services, health behaviour, and developing countries. Only papers, which reported on in-depth qualitative data, were retained. Twenty-five qualitative studies, which investigated barriers to routine immunisation, were included in the review. These studies were conducted between 1982 and 2012; eighteen were published after 2000. The studies represent a wide range of low- to middle income countries including some that have well known coverage challenges. We found that women's low social status manifests on every level as a barrier to accessing vaccinations: access to education, income, as well as autonomous decision-making about time and resource allocation were evident barriers. Indirectly, women's lower status made them vulnerable to blame and shame in case of childhood illness, partly reinforcing access problems, but partly increasing women's motivation to use every means to keep their children healthy. Yet in settings where gender discrimination exists most strongly, increasing availability and information may not be enough to reach the under immunised. Programmes must actively be designed to include mitigation measures to facilitate women's access to immunisation services if we hope to improve immunisation coverage. Gender inequality needs to be addressed on structural, community and household levels if the number of unvaccinated children is to substantially decrease. PMID:26317975

Gender Determinants of Vaccination Status in Children: Evidence from a Meta-Ethnographic Systematic Review.

PubMed

Merten, Sonja; Martin Hilber, Adriane; Biaggi, Christina; Secula, Florence; Bosch-Capblanch, Xavier; Namgyal, Pem; Hombach, Joachim

2015-01-01

Using meta-ethnographic methods, we conducted a systematic review of qualitative research to understand gender-related reasons at individual, family, community and health facility levels why millions of children in low and middle income countries are still not reached by routine vaccination programmes. A systematic search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Anthropological Lit, CSA databases, IBSS, ISI Web of Knowledge, JSTOR, Soc Index and Sociological Abstracts was conducted. Key words were built around the themes of immunization, vaccines, health services, health behaviour, and developing countries. Only papers, which reported on in-depth qualitative data, were retained. Twenty-five qualitative studies, which investigated barriers to routine immunisation, were included in the review. These studies were conducted between 1982 and 2012; eighteen were published after 2000. The studies represent a wide range of low- to middle income countries including some that have well known coverage challenges. We found that women's low social status manifests on every level as a barrier to accessing vaccinations: access to education, income, as well as autonomous decision-making about time and resource allocation were evident barriers. Indirectly, women's lower status made them vulnerable to blame and shame in case of childhood illness, partly reinforcing access problems, but partly increasing women's motivation to use every means to keep their children healthy. Yet in settings where gender discrimination exists most strongly, increasing availability and information may not be enough to reach the under immunised. Programmes must actively be designed to include mitigation measures to facilitate women's access to immunisation services if we hope to improve immunisation coverage. Gender inequality needs to be addressed on structural, community and household levels if the number of unvaccinated children is to substantially decrease.

¡Si, Se Puede! Achieving Academic Excellence Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lumbreras, Ricardo, Jr.; Rupley, William H.

2017-01-01

Twenty-first century learners in post-secondary educational environments find themselves involved in online learning. Acquiring graduate degrees, especially for working professionals, has precipitated the need for effective, rigorous, relevant, and timely coursework online. Utilizing the qualitative research method of auto-ethnographic reporting,…

Grounded Classification: Grounded Theory and Faceted Classification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Star, Susan Leigh

1998-01-01

Compares the qualitative method of grounded theory (GT) with Ranganathan's construction of faceted classifications (FC) in library and information science. Both struggle with a core problem--the representation of vernacular words and processes, empirically discovered, which will, although ethnographically faithful, be powerful beyond the single…

Conducting a meta-ethnography of qualitative literature: lessons learnt.

PubMed

Atkins, Salla; Lewin, Simon; Smith, Helen; Engel, Mark; Fretheim, Atle; Volmink, Jimmy

2008-04-16

Qualitative synthesis has become more commonplace in recent years. Meta-ethnography is one of several methods for synthesising qualitative research and is being used increasingly within health care research. However, many aspects of the steps in the process remain ill-defined. We utilized the seven stages of the synthesis process to synthesise qualitative research on adherence to tuberculosis treatment. In this paper we discuss the methodological and practical challenges faced; of particular note are the methods used in our synthesis, the additional steps that we found useful in clarifying the process, and the key methodological challenges encountered in implementing the meta-ethnographic approach. The challenges included shaping an appropriate question for the synthesis; identifying relevant studies; assessing the quality of the studies; and synthesising findings across a very large number of primary studies from different contexts and research traditions. We offer suggestions that may assist in undertaking meta-ethnographies in the future. Meta-ethnography is a useful method for synthesising qualitative research and for developing models that interpret findings across multiple studies. Despite its growing use in health research, further research is needed to address the wide range of methodological and epistemological questions raised by the approach.

Conducting a meta-ethnography of qualitative literature: Lessons learnt

PubMed Central

Atkins, Salla; Lewin, Simon; Smith, Helen; Engel, Mark; Fretheim, Atle; Volmink, Jimmy

2008-01-01

Background Qualitative synthesis has become more commonplace in recent years. Meta-ethnography is one of several methods for synthesising qualitative research and is being used increasingly within health care research. However, many aspects of the steps in the process remain ill-defined. Discussion We utilized the seven stages of the synthesis process to synthesise qualitative research on adherence to tuberculosis treatment. In this paper we discuss the methodological and practical challenges faced; of particular note are the methods used in our synthesis, the additional steps that we found useful in clarifying the process, and the key methodological challenges encountered in implementing the meta-ethnographic approach. The challenges included shaping an appropriate question for the synthesis; identifying relevant studies; assessing the quality of the studies; and synthesising findings across a very large number of primary studies from different contexts and research traditions. We offer suggestions that may assist in undertaking meta-ethnographies in the future. Summary Meta-ethnography is a useful method for synthesising qualitative research and for developing models that interpret findings across multiple studies. Despite its growing use in health research, further research is needed to address the wide range of methodological and epistemological questions raised by the approach. PMID:18416812

Criminalisation of clients: reproducing vulnerabilities for violence and poor health among street-based sex workers in Canada—a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Krüsi, A; Pacey, K; Bird, L; Taylor, C; Chettiar, J; Allan, S; Bennett, D; Montaner, J S; Kerr, T; Shannon, K

2014-01-01

Objectives To explore how criminalisation and policing of sex buyers (clients) rather than sex workers shapes sex workers’ working conditions and sexual transactions including risk of violence and HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Design Qualitative and ethnographic study triangulated with sex work-related violence prevalence data and publicly available police statistics. Setting Vancouver, Canada, provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the impact of policies that criminalise clients as the local police department adopted a sex work enforcement policy in January 2013 that prioritises sex workers’ safety over arrest, while continuing to target clients. Participants 26 cisgender and 5 transgender women who were street-based sex workers (n=31) participated in semistructured interviews about their working conditions. All had exchanged sex for money in the previous 30 days in Vancouver. Outcome measures Thematic analysis of interview transcripts and ethnographic field notes focused on how police enforcement of clients shaped sex workers’ working conditions and sexual transactions, including risk of violence and HIV/STIs, over an 11-month period postpolicy implementation (January–November 2013). Results Sex workers’ narratives and ethnographic observations indicated that while police sustained a high level of visibility, they eased charging or arresting sex workers and showed increased concern for their safety. However, participants’ accounts and police statistics indicated continued police enforcement of clients. This profoundly impacted the safety strategies sex workers employed. Sex workers continued to mistrust police, had to rush screening clients and were displaced to outlying areas with increased risks of violence, including being forced to engage in unprotected sex. Conclusions These findings suggest that criminalisation and policing strategies that target clients reproduce the harms created by the criminalisation of sex work, in particular, vulnerability to violence and HIV/STIs. The current findings support decriminalisation of sex work to ensure work conditions that support the health and safety of sex workers in Canada and globally. PMID:24889853

Rethinking the therapeutic misconception: social justice, patient advocacy, and cancer clinical trial recruitment in the US safety net.

PubMed

Burke, Nancy J

2014-09-20

Approximately 20% of adult cancer patients are eligible to participate in a clinical trial, but only 2.5-9% do so. Accrual is even less for minority and medically underserved populations. As a result, critical life-saving treatments and quality of life services developed from research studies may not address their needs. This study questions the utility of the bioethical concern with therapeutic misconception (TM), a misconception that occurs when research subjects fail to distinguish between clinical research and ordinary treatment, and therefore attribute therapeutic intent to research procedures in the safety net setting. This paper provides ethnographic insight into the ways in which research is discussed and related to standard treatment. In the course of two years of ethnographic fieldwork in a safety net hospital, I conducted clinic observations (n=150 clinic days) and in-depth in-person qualitative interviews with patients (n=37) and providers (n=15). I used standard qualitative methods to organize and code resulting fieldnote and interview data. Findings suggest that TM is limited in relevance for the interdisciplinary context of cancer clinical trial recruitment in the safety net setting. Ethnographic data show the value of the discussions that happen prior to the informed consent, those that introduce the idea of participation in research. These preliminary discussions are elemental especially when recruiting underserved and vulnerable patients for clinical trial participation who are often unfamiliar with medical research and how it relates to medical care. Data also highlight the multiple actors involved in research discussions and the ethics of social justice and patient advocacy they mobilize, suggesting that class, inequality, and dependency influence the forms of ethical engagements in public hospital settings. On the ground ethics of social justice and patient advocacy are more relevant than TM as guiding ethical principles in the context of ongoing cancer disparities and efforts to diversify clinical trial participation.

"A Friend Who Understand Fully": Notes on Humanizing Research in a Multiethnic Youth Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paris, Django

2011-01-01

In this article, I conceptualize ethnographic, qualitative, and social language research with marginalized and oppressed communities as "humanizing research". Humanizing research is a methodological stance, which requires that our inquiries involve dialogic consciousness-raising and the building of relationships of dignity and care for both…

Toward a Methodology of Death: Deleuze's "Event" as Method for Critical Ethnography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Sophia

2016-01-01

This article examines how qualitative researchers, specifically ethnographers, might utilize complex philosophical concepts in order to disrupt the normative truth-telling practices embedded in social science research. Drawing on my own research experiences, I move toward a methodology of death (for researcher/researched alike) grounded in…

Assessing the Value of Action Learning for Social Enterprises and Charities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sue; Smith, Laurie

2017-01-01

In this paper we evaluate action learning for leaders of social enterprises and charities. Based on ethnographic research including participant observation, facilitator reflective diary notes and in-depth, qualitative interviews with participants of two action learning sets undertaken over eight months, analysed using Wenger, Trayner, and de Laat…

Is Leadership Observable? Qualitative Orientations to Leadership for Diversity. A Case from FE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Marlene; Lumby, Jacky

2009-01-01

Currently, ethnographic interest in leadership is relatively sparse. This paper's focus derives from research about integrating diversity in leadership, and how some leaders are included and excluded from organisational influence in Further Education. Specific interest is in methodological opportunities to research leadership as observed…

Implementation of Patient Decision Support Interventions in Primary Care: The Role of Relational Coordination.

PubMed

Tietbohl, Caroline K; Rendle, Katharine A S; Halley, Meghan C; May, Suepattra G; Lin, Grace A; Frosch, Dominick L

2015-11-01

The benefits of patient decision support interventions (DESIs) have been well documented. However, DESIs remain difficult to incorporate into clinical practice. Relational coordination (RC) has been shown to improve performance and quality of care in health care settings. This study aims to demonstrate how applying RC theory to DESI implementation could elucidate underlying issues limiting widespread uptake. Five primary care clinics in Northern California participated in a DESI implementation project. We used a deductive thematic approach guided by behaviors outlined in RC theory to analyze qualitative data collected from ethnographic field notes documenting the implementation process and focus groups with health care professionals. We then systematically compared the qualitative findings with quantitative DESI distribution data. Based on DESI distribution rates, clinics were placed into 3 performance categories: high, middle, and low. Qualitative data illustrated how each clinic's performance related to RC behaviors. Consistent with RC theory, the high-performing clinic exhibited frequent, timely, and accurate communication and positive working relationships. The 3 middle-performing clinics exhibited high-quality communication within physician-staff teams but limited communication regarding DESI implementation across the clinic. The lowest-performing clinic was characterized by contentious relationships and inadequate communication. Limitations of the study include nonrandom selection of clinics and limited geographic diversity. In addition, ethnographic data collected documented only DESI implementation practices and not larger staff interactions contributing to RC. These findings suggest that a high level of RC within clinical settings may be a key component and facilitator of successful DESI implementation. Future attempts to integrate DESIs into clinical practice should consider incorporating interventions designed to increase positive RC behaviors as a potential means to improve uptake. © The Author(s) 2015.

The experience of women with an eating disorder in the perinatal period: a meta-ethnographic study.

PubMed

Fogarty, Sarah; Elmir, Rakime; Hay, Phillipa; Schmied, Virginia

2018-05-02

Pregnancy is a time of enormous body transformation. For those with an eating disorder during pregnancy this time of transformation can be distressing and damaging to both the mother and the child. In this meta-ethnographic study, we aimed to examine the experiences of women with an Eating Disorder in the perinatal period; that is during pregnancy and two years following birth. A meta-ethnographic framework was used in this review. After a systematic online search of the literature using the keywords such as pregnancy, eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, perinatal, postnatal and post-partum, 11 papers, involving 94 women, were included in the review. A qualitative synthesis of the papers identified 2 key themes. The key theme that emerged during pregnancy was: navigating a 'new' eating disorder. The key that emerged in the perinatal period was return to the 'old' eating disorder. Following a tumultuous pregnancy experience, many described returning to their pre-pregnancy eating behaviors and thoughts. These experiences highlight the emotional difficulty experienced having an eating disorder whilst pregnant but they also point to opportunities for intervention and a continued acceptance of body image changes. More research is needed on the experiences of targeted treatment interventions specific for pregnant and postpartum women with an eating disorder and the effectiveness of putative treatment interventions during this period.

Matters of concern: a qualitative study of emergency care from the perspective of patients.

PubMed

Olthuis, Gert; Prins, Carolien; Smits, Marie-Josée; van de Pas, Harm; Bierens, Joost; Baart, Andries

2014-03-01

A key to improving the quality of emergency care is improvement of the contact between patient and emergency department (ED) staff. We investigate what patients actually experience during their ED visit to better understand the patterns of relationships among patients and health care professionals. This was an ethnographic study. We conducted observations at the ED of a large general teaching hospital. Patients were enrolled in the study on the basis of convenience sampling. We thoroughly analyzed 16 cases in a grounded theory approach, using the constant comparative methods (ie, starting the analysis with the collection of data). This approach enabled us to conceptualize the experiences of patients step by step, using the ethnographic data to refine and test the theoretical categories that emerged. Our data show that patients at the ED continuously and actively labor to deal with their disorder, its consequences, and the situation they are in. Characteristics of these "patient concerns" indicate a certain trouble, have a personal character, impose themselves with a certain urgency, and require patient effort. We have established a qualitative taxonomy of 5 categories of patient concerns: anxiety, expectations, care provision, endurance, and recognition. Diligence for patient concerns enables ED staff to have a fruitful insight into patients' actual experience. It offers significant clues to improving relationship building in emergency care practice between patients and health care professionals. Copyright © 2013 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethnographic study of ICT-supported collaborative work routines in general practice.

PubMed

Swinglehurst, Deborah; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Myall, Michelle; Russell, Jill

2010-12-29

Health informatics research has traditionally been dominated by experimental and quasi-experimental designs. An emerging area of study in organisational sociology is routinisation (how collaborative work practices become business-as-usual). There is growing interest in the use of ethnography and other in-depth qualitative approaches to explore how collaborative work routines are enacted and develop over time, and how electronic patient records (EPRs) are used to support collaborative work practices within organisations. Following Feldman and Pentland, we will use 'the organisational routine' as our unit of analysis. In a sample of four UK general practices, we will collect narratives, ethnographic observations, multi-modal (video and screen capture) data, documents and other artefacts, and analyse these to map and compare the different understandings and enactments of three common routines (repeat prescribing, coding and summarising, and chronic disease surveillance) which span clinical and administrative spaces and which, though 'mundane', have an important bearing on quality and safety of care. In a detailed qualitative analysis informed by sociological theory, we aim to generate insights about how complex collaborative work is achieved through the process of routinisation in healthcare organisations. Our study offers the potential not only to identify potential quality failures (poor performance, errors, failures of coordination) in collaborative work routines but also to reveal the hidden work and workarounds by front-line staff which bridge the model-reality gap in EPR technologies and via which "automated" safety features have an impact in practice.

Ethnographic study of ICT-supported collaborative work routines in general practice

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Health informatics research has traditionally been dominated by experimental and quasi-experimental designs. An emerging area of study in organisational sociology is routinisation (how collaborative work practices become business-as-usual). There is growing interest in the use of ethnography and other in-depth qualitative approaches to explore how collaborative work routines are enacted and develop over time, and how electronic patient records (EPRs) are used to support collaborative work practices within organisations. Methods/design Following Feldman and Pentland, we will use 'the organisational routine' as our unit of analysis. In a sample of four UK general practices, we will collect narratives, ethnographic observations, multi-modal (video and screen capture) data, documents and other artefacts, and analyse these to map and compare the different understandings and enactments of three common routines (repeat prescribing, coding and summarising, and chronic disease surveillance) which span clinical and administrative spaces and which, though 'mundane', have an important bearing on quality and safety of care. In a detailed qualitative analysis informed by sociological theory, we aim to generate insights about how complex collaborative work is achieved through the process of routinisation in healthcare organisations. Discussion Our study offers the potential not only to identify potential quality failures (poor performance, errors, failures of coordination) in collaborative work routines but also to reveal the hidden work and workarounds by front-line staff which bridge the model-reality gap in EPR technologies and via which "automated" safety features have an impact in practice. PMID:21190583

Improving access to emergent spinal care through knowledge translation: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Webster, Fiona; Fehlings, Michael G; Rice, Kathleen; Malempati, Harsha; Fawaz, Khaled; Nicholls, Fred; Baldeo, Navindra; Reeves, Scott; Singh, Anoushka; Ahn, Henry; Ginsberg, Howard; Yee, Albert J

2014-04-14

For patients and family members, access to timely specialty medical care for emergent spinal conditions is a significant stressor to an already serious condition. Timing to surgical care for emergent spinal conditions such as spinal trauma is an important predictor of outcome. However, few studies have explored ethnographically the views of surgeons and other key stakeholders on issues related to patient access and care for emergent spine conditions. The primary study objective was to determine the challenges to the provision of timely care as well as to identify areas of opportunities to enhance care delivery. An ethnographic study of key administrative and clinical care providers involved in the triage and care of patients referred through CritiCall Ontario was undertaken utilizing standard methods of qualitative inquiry. This comprised 21 interviews with people involved in varying capacities with the provision of emergent spinal care, as well as qualitative observations on an orthopaedic/neurosurgical ward, in operating theatres, and at CritiCall Ontario's call centre. Several themes were identified and organized into categories that range from inter-professional collaboration through to issues of hospital-level resources and the role of relationships between hospitals and external organizations at the provincial level. Underlying many of these issues is the nature of the medically complex emergent spine patient and the scientific evidentiary base upon which best practice care is delivered. Through the implementation of knowledge translation strategies facilitated from this research, a reduction of patient transfers out of province was observed in the one-year period following program implementation. Our findings suggest that competing priorities at both the hospital and provincial level create challenges in the delivery of spinal care. Key stakeholders recognized spinal care as aligning with multiple priorities such as emergent/critical care, medical through surgical, acute through rehabilitative, disease-based (i.e. trauma, cancer), and wait times initiatives. However, despite newly implemented strategies, there continues to be increasing trends over time in the number of spinal CritiCall Ontario referrals. This reinforces the need for ongoing inter-professional efforts in care delivery that take into account the institutional contexts that may constrain individual or team efforts.

Introducing the nurse practitioner into the surgical ward: an ethnographic study of interprofessional teamwork practice.

PubMed

Kvarnström, Susanne; Jangland, Eva; Abrandt Dahlgren, Madeleine

2017-08-22

The first nurse practitioners in surgical care were introduced into Swedish surgical wards in 2014. Internationally, organisations that have adopted nurse practitioners into care teams are reported to have maintained or improved the quality of care. However, close qualitative descriptions of teamwork practice may add to existing knowledge of interprofessional collaboration when introducing nurse practitioners into new clinical areas. The aim was to report on an empirical study describing how interprofessional teamwork practice was enacted by nurse practitioners when introduced into surgical ward teams. The study had a qualitative, ethnographic research design, drawing on a sociomaterial conceptual framework. The study was based on 170 hours of ward-based participant observations of interprofessional teamwork practice that included nurse practitioners. Data were gathered from 2014 to 2015 across four surgical sites in Sweden, including 60 interprofessional rounds. The data were analysed with an iterative reflexive procedure involving inductive and theory-led approaches. The study was approved by a Swedish regional ethics committee (Ref. No.: 2014/229-31). The interprofessional teamwork practice enacted by the nurse practitioners that emerged from the analysis comprised a combination of the following characteristic role components: clinical leader, bridging team colleague and ever-present tutor. These role components were enacted at all the sites and were prominent during interprofessional teamwork practice. The participant nurse practitioners utilised the interprofessional teamwork practice arrangements to enact a role that may be described in terms of a quality guarantee, thereby contributing to the overall quality and care flow offered by the entire surgical ward team. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Identifying interventions to help rural Kenyan mothers cope with food insecurity: results of a focused ethnographic study.

PubMed

Pelto, Gretel H; Armar-Klemesu, Margaret

2015-12-01

An ethnographic study was conducted in two areas in southern and western Kenya to identify potential interventions to improve the quality, availability and affordability of foods consumed by infants and young children. A cultural-ecological model of determinants of nutrition identified the sectors of information for data collection related to infant and young child (IYC) diet and feeding-related behaviours, and the focused ethnographic study manual was used to guide the research. The results provide qualitative evidence about facilitators and constraints to IYC nutrition in the two geographical areas and document their inter-connections. We conclude with suggestions to consider 13 potential nutrition-sensitive interventions. The studies provide empirical ethnographic support for arguments concerning the importance of combining nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach to improve the nutrition of infants and young children in low-income, resource-constrained populations. They also document the value of ethnography as a component of landscape analysis in nutrition programme and policy planning. Key messages In addition to constraints on infant and young child diet that originate in environmental and technological conditions in both agro-ecological zones, other factors that affect feeding practices include features of social organisation, household access to social support, caregivers income-earning activities and their own health. The results of the ethnographies, which highlight the importance of obtaining the knowledge and perspectives of caregivers of infants and young children, reveal the interactions of the multiple factors that affect child nutrition and the need for simultaneous nutrition-sensitive interventions to complement nutrition-specific intervention actions. Most caregivers in both areas not only understood the importance of diet and food quality for child survival, they also regarded it as essential for child growth and development. This indicates that caregivers in these rural Kenyan communities have adopted the basic biomedical interpretation of the importance of child nutrition as an integral part of their 'knowledge frameworks'. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Qualitative Assessment of the Learning Outcomes of Teaching Introductory American Politics in Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelbman, Shamira M.

2011-01-01

This article discusses the findings of an ethnographic content analysis of students' written reflections as a means for assessing the learning outcomes of teaching introductory American politics in comparative perspective. It focuses especially on determining whether and how this approach enhanced students' understanding and retention of knowledge…

Assembling Webs of Support: Child Domestic Workers in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasiuzzaman, Shaziah; Wells, Karen

2010-01-01

This paper uses ethnographic and qualitative interview data with Muslim child domestic workers, their families and employers to investigate the social ties between young workers and their employers. Our analysis shows that working-class families use children's domestic work with middle-class families as part of a web of resources to protect them…

Bridging the Gap: The Case for Expanding Ethnographic Techniques in the Marketing Research Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Lynne; Spanjaard, Daniela

2012-01-01

This article challenges the content of most marketing research courses whereby students are indoctrinated into the qualitative-then-quantitative archetype commonly found in scholarly research, under the assumption that it is both sufficient and appropriate when equipping students with the necessary skills for business. By following this standard…

Stress and Grief of a Perinatal Loss: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Volker; Striegel, Phil

1995-01-01

Examined how parents grieve loss of a baby through miscarriage or stillbirth. Interviewed 26 couples 2 weeks after a perinatal loss. Ethnographic content analysis revealed 12 themes closely related to resources, meaning of the stressful event, and coping strategies, all of which are elements, of Hill's ABC-X stress model. (JBJ)

Normative Cruelties and Gender Deviants: The Performative Effects of Bully Discourses for Girls and Boys in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ringrose, Jessica; Renold, Emma

2010-01-01

Since the 1990s the educational community has witnessed a proliferation of "bullying" discourses, primarily within the field of educational developmental social psychology. Drawing on ethnographic and qualitative interview data of primary and secondary school girls and boys, this article argues that the discourse "bullying"…

Guba as a Vanguard of Naturalistic Inquiry: A Harbinger of the Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoong, Suan

Egon G. Guba and Yvonna S. Lincoln were among the first to develop a set of extensive criteria for establishing naturalistic inquiry as a disciplined research methodology. The naturalistic paradigm--also called post-positivist, ethnographic, phenomenological, and qualitative--has gained acceptance as a legitimate alternative to the previously…

The neglected role of distress in pain management: qualitative research on a gastrointestinal ward.

PubMed

Drake, Gareth; Williams, Amanda C de C

2018-05-09

Pain management for hospital inpatients remains suboptimal. Previously identified barriers to optimal pain management include staff communication difficulties, confusion around pain management roles and a lack of suitable resources for clinical staff. The emotional, relational and contextual complexities of gastrointestinal (GI) pain create particular challenges for frontline clinical staff attempting to implement a biopsychosocial approach to its management. The current study took place over 2 years, comprised an ethnographic and a feedback phase, and aimed to examine pain management processes with clinical staff in order to generate hypotheses and initiatives for improvement. This paper focuses on two overarching themes identified in the ethnographic phase of the study, centred on the neglected role of both staff and patient distress in GI pain management. Grounded theory and thematic analysis methods were used as part of action research, which involves collaborative working with clinical staff. The study took place on a 60 bed GI ward in a university hospital in London. Participants were clinical staff who were either ward-based or involved in the care of particular patients. This latter group included doctors, nurses, psychologists and physiotherapists from the Acute and Complex Pain Teams. Qualitative data on pain management processes was gathered from staff interviews, consultation groups, and observations of patient-staff interactions. Recruitment was purposive and collaborative in that early participants suggested targets and staff groups for subsequent enquiry. Following the identification of initial ethnographic themes, further analysis and the use of existing literature led to the identification of two overarching pain management processes. As such the results are divided into three sections: (i) illustration of initial ethnographic themes, (ii) summary of relevant theory used, (iii) exploration of hypothesised overarching processes. Initially, two consultation groups, five nursing staff and five junior doctors, provided key issues that were included in subsequent interviews (n=18) and observations (n=5). Initial ethnographic themes were divided into challenges and resources, reflecting the emergent structure of interviews and observations. Drawing on attachment, psychodynamic and evolutionary theories, themes were then regrouped around two overarching processes, centred on the neglected role of distress in pain management. The first process elucidates the lack of recognition during pain assessment of the emotional impact of patient distress on staff decision-making and pain management practice. The second process demonstrates that, as a consequence of resultant staff distress, communication between staff groups was fraught and resources, such as expert team referral and pharmacotherapy, appeared to function, at times, to protect staff rather than to help patients. Interpersonal skills used by staff to relieve patient distress were largely outside systems for pain care. Findings suggest that identified "barriers" to optimal pain management likely serve an important defensive function for staff and organisations. Unless the impact of patient distress on staff is recognised and addressed within the system, these barriers will persist.

Influence of qualitative research on women's health screening guidelines.

PubMed

Abadir, Anna Maria; Lang, Ariella; Klein, Talia; Abenhaim, Haim Arie

2014-01-01

Considerable time and resources are allocated to carry out qualitative research. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the availability of qualitative research on women's health screening and assess its influence on screening practice guidelines in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Medline, CINHAL, and WEB of Science databases were used to identify the availability of qualitative research conducted in the past 15 years on 3 different women's health screening topics: cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, and prenatal first-trimester screening. Key national practice guidelines on women's health screening were selected using the National Guideline Clearinghouse web site. Bibliometric analysis was used to determine the frequency of qualitative references cited in the guidelines. A total of 272 qualitative research papers on women's health screening was identified: 109 on cervical cancer screening, 104 on breast cancer screening, and 59 on prenatal first-trimester screening. The qualitative studies focused on health care provider perspectives as well as ethical, ethnographic, psychological, and social issues surrounding screening. Fifteen national clinical practice guidelines on women's health screening were identified. A total of 943 references was cited, only 2 of which comprised of qualitative research cited by only 1 clinical practice guideline. Although there is considerable qualitative research that has been carried out on women's health screening, its incorporation into clinical practice guidelines is minimal. Further exploration of the disconnect between the two is important for enhancing knowledge translation of qualitative research within clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

A qualitative study of relationships among parenting strategies, social capital, the juvenile justice system, and mental health care for at-risk African American male youth.

PubMed

Richardson, Joseph B; Brakle, Mischelle Van

2011-10-01

For many poor, African American families living in the inner city, the juvenile justice system has become a de facto mental health service provider. In this article, longitudinal, ethnographic study methods were used to examine how resource-deprived, inner-city parents in a New York City community relied on the juvenile justice system to provide their African American male children with mental health care resources. The results of three case studies indicate that this strategy actually contributed to an escalation in delinquency among the youth.

A geo-ethnographic analysis of low-income rural and urban women's food shopping behaviors.

PubMed

MacNell, Lillian

2018-06-06

Many scholars have found evidence that low-income neighborhoods contain fewer supermarkets, but there is a lack of consensus regarding whether and how this matters to residents. A few qualitative studies have asked food desert residents about their experiences of their food environments, while a small number of other studies have utilized spatial analyses to examine actual shopping behaviors. To better understand barriers to food access, this study combines the two in a geo-ethnographic analysis. This study draws on data from a USDA-funded project about families and food to combine quantitative geographic data with qualitative interview data of 100 rural and urban low-income mothers of young children. For each participant, the nearest supermarket, as well most-frequented supermarket, was mapped, and distances to stores were calculated. On average, participants traveled more than twice as far as their nearest supermarket to reach a preferred store. Interviews with participants were conducted to assess the motivations and strategies of shoppers, in particular why they chose to bypass their nearest supermarkets. They shared a variety of reasons for doing so; foremost to find lower prices of food in order to stretch income and SNAP benefits. Access to transportation also played a major role in determining where people shopped for food. This research challenges scholars, policymakers, and health practitioners to look beyond proximate food environments to consider the lived experiences of food desert residents. Efforts to address poor food access should aim to increase household income, in addition to providing targeted food and nutrition assistance. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

'Western Union daddies' and their quest for authenticity: an ethnographic study of the Dominican gay sex tourism industry.

PubMed

Padilla, Mark B

2007-01-01

This article draws on ethnographic research among two categories of male sex workers in the Dominican Republic in order to describe the relationships between gay male tourists and the Dominican men they hire on their trips to the Caribbean. Drawing on both qualitative interview data and quantitative surveys, the discussion examines the usefulness of theories of 'authenticity,' as they have been applied in the analysis of tourist practices more generally, in accounting for the behaviors and practices of male sex workers and their foreign gay clients. While the flow of international remittances from 'Western Union daddies' to their Dominican 'boys' creates a continuous reminder of the utilitarian nature of the exchange, both sex workers and clients are motivated to camouflage this instrumentality in their construction of a more 'authentic,' fulfilling relationship. The article examines the consequences of this ambivalent negotiation for the emotional and economic organization of gay male sex tourism in the Caribbean.

Immigration experience of Latin American working women in Alicante, Spain: an ethnographic study 1

PubMed Central

González-Juárez, Liliana; Noreña-Peña, Ana Lucía

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to describe the experience of Latin American working women regarding immigration, taking into account the expectations and conditions in which this process takes place. METHOD: ethnographic qualitative study. Data collection was performed by means of semi-structured interviews with 24 Latin American immigrant women in Spain. The information collected was triangulated through two focal groups. RESULTS: the expectations of migrant women focus on improving family living conditions. Social support is essential for their settling and to perform daily life activities. They declare they have adapted to the settlement country, although they live with stress. They perceive they have greater sexual freedom and power with their partners but keep greater responsibility in childcare, combining that with the role of working woman. CONCLUSIONS: migrant women play a key role in the survival of households, they build and create new meanings about being a woman, their understanding of life, their social and couple relationships. Such importance is shaped by their expectations and the conditions in which the migration process takes place, as well as their work integration. PMID:25493683

Intersections and evolution of 'Butch-trans' categories in Puerto Rico: Needs and barriers of an invisible population.

PubMed

Ramos-Pibernus, Alíxida G; Rodríguez-Madera, Sheilla L; Padilla, Mark; Varas-Díaz, Nelson; Vargas Molina, Ricardo

2016-01-01

Public health research among transgender populations globally has primarily focused on HIV/AIDS. However, trans men remain outside of this conceptual framework, with distinct but overlapping social contexts and needs. In Puerto Rico (PR), the trans men population has remained largely hidden within the 'butch' lesbian community. The objective of this article is to document the identity construction of trans men and 'buchas' (local term to refer to butch lesbians) in PR and its relation to their bodily practices and overall health. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study with 29 trans men and buchas based on ethnographic observation, focus groups, audio-recorded in-depth interviews, and critical discourse analysis. Findings emphasise two domains to be addressed by health policies and initiatives: (1) bodily representations and gender performance, and (2) the meanings of female biological processes. This small-scale ethnographic study represents an initial step towards understanding the social context of this 'invisible' community and significant implications for their health and well-being. We provide several recommendations to address public health concerns of this understudied, marginalised community.

Intersections and evolution of ‘Butch-trans’ categories in Puerto Rico: Needs and barriers of an invisible population

PubMed Central

Ramos-Pibernus, Alíxida G.; Rodríguez-Madera, Sheilla L.; Padilla, Mark; Varas-Díaz, Nelson; Molina, Ricardo Vargas

2016-01-01

Public health research among transgender populations globally has primarily focused on HIV/AIDS. However, trans men remain outside of this conceptual framework, with distinct but overlapping social contexts and needs. In Puerto Rico (PR), the trans men population has remained largely hidden within the ‘butch’ lesbian community. The objective of this article is to document the identity construction of trans men and ‘buchas’ (local term to refer to butch lesbians) in PR and its relation to their bodily practices and overall health. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study with 29 trans men and buchas based on ethnographic observation; focus groups; audio-recorded in-depth interviews; and critical discourse analysis. Findings emphasize two domains to be addressed by health policies and initiatives: 1) bodily representations and gender performance, and 2) the meanings of female biological processes. This small-scale ethnographic study represents an initial step toward understanding the social context of this ‘invisible’ community and significant implications for their health and well-being. We provide several recommendations to address public health concerns of this understudied, marginalized community. PMID:27142002

Heroin Abuse and Collective Identity: Correlates and Consequences of Geographical Place

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furst, R. Terry; Balletto, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Ethnographic and qualitative research were utilized to examine how the effects of geographic place can be related to heroin abuse and collective identity in non-metropolitan areas (NMAs) in the mid-Hudson region of New York State, U.S. The socio-geographic consequences of this interrelationship are explored. In-depth interviews were conducted with…

Making Visible the Behaviors that Influence Learning Environment: A Qualitative Exploration of Computer Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Lecia J.; Garvin-Doxas, Kathy

2004-01-01

The authors conducted ethnographic research to provide deep understanding of the learning environment of a selection of computer science classrooms at a large, research university in the United States. Categories emerging from data analysis included (1) impersonal environment and guarded behavior; and (2) the creation and maintenance of informal…

Clarification of the Blurred Boundaries between Grounded Theory and Ethnography: Differences and Similarities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldiabat, Khaldoun; Le Navenec, Carol-Lynne

2011-01-01

There is confusion among graduate students about how to select the qualitative methodology that best fits their research question. Often this confusion arises in regard to making a choice between a grounded theory methodology and an ethnographic methodology. This difficulty may stem from the fact that these students do not have a clear…

My Story in a Profession of Stories: Auto Ethnography-- An Empowering Methodology for Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyson, Michael

2007-01-01

This paper highlights a distinctive way to research and present issues within education using metaphor and the qualitative narrative methodology known as auto ethnography. Auto ethnographic writing links the personal to the cultural and is recognised as a methodology that combines the method with the writing of the text, which in turn explicates…

Even beyond the Local Community: A Close Look at Latina Youths' Return Trips to Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Patricia

2009-01-01

Drawing from nearly four years of qualitative research, this article examines the lives of three second-generation mexicanas living in northern California who maintain close ties to their families' natal communities in Mexico. This ethnographic portrait outlines the contours of belonging in these spaces, including the affection and close…

Knowing and "Unknowing" Transnational Latino Lives in Teacher Education: At the Intersection of Educational Research and the Latino Humanities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villenas, Sofia A.

2009-01-01

Qualitative and ethnographic research in immigrant/Diaspora education has contributed significantly to prospective and practicing teachers' "unknowing" of Latino families as culturally deficient. Engagement with this scholarship in teacher education has opened the possibilities for a more complex knowing of Latino families' and youth's lives. With…

Language Attitudes of Urban Disadvantaged Female Students in India: An Ethnographic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaish, Viniti

2008-01-01

This paper qualitatively documents and analyses the attitudes and identities of female students from the urban disadvantaged social class towards English and Hindi in the city of New Delhi. These attitudes include not only instrumental views of English but also the impression that it creates a new personality for an individual. English is part of…

An ethnographic study of diabetes health beliefs and practices in Sri Lankan adults.

PubMed

Amarasekara, A A T D; Fongkaew, W; Turale, S; Wimalasekara, S W; Chanprasit, C

2014-12-01

Globally, type 2 diabetes is increasingly prevalent; however, unique cultural contexts in each country might affect these diabetes control behaviours. Diabetes is a serious health issue in Sri Lanka and little is known about the impact of sociocultural context on diabetes health behaviours. This first-time qualitative Sri Lankan study explored the health beliefs and practices of adults with diabetes to enhance current nursing care and medical treatment. An ethnographic approach was used to collect data through participant observations, in-depth interviews with 14 key informants in their homes and field notes. Data were analysed by thematic analysis. Findings revealed unique, informative insights into sociocultural worlds of the participants from three Sinhalese, Tamils and Moor ethnic groups. Findings are described under five themes: gaining religious support, changing food habits is a struggle, exercising is challenging, Western medicine causes long-term consequences and Ayurveda/traditional treatments can cure. In Sri Lankans, the impact of sociocultural context on glycaemic control behaviours is significant and should be taken in consideration when health professionals provide care, treatment and health education. Study informants were selected from three ethnic groups and just two communities. Further in-depth research is required using both qualitative and quantitative approaches in individual groups. Culturally relevant policies and protocols for community care and treatment of people with diabetes are urgently required in Sri Lanka to enhance cultural treatment and care and reduce the epidemic of diabetes. These policies need to take into account traditional beliefs and practices of various ethnic groups. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Empowerment, environment and person-centred care: A qualitative study exploring the hospital experience for adults with cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Prato, Laura; Lindley, Lyndsay; Boyles, Miriam; Robinson, Louise; Abley, Clare

2018-01-01

It is acknowledged that there are many challenges to ensuring a positive hospital experience for patients with cognitive impairment. The study ('Improving hospital care for adults with cognitive impairment') aimed to explore the positive and negative experiences of older adults with cognitive impairment (dementia and delirium) and their relatives and/or carers, during an acute hospital stay, from admission to discharge, using a qualitative, case study methodology. Six participants with cognitive impairment, eight relatives and 59 members of the health care team were recruited. Data was collected via ethnographic, observational periods at each stage of the hospital journey and through the use of semi-structured interviews with relatives, carers and health care staff including: medical staff; nursing staff; physiotherapists and ward managers. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to facilitate data analysis. 52 hours 55 minutes of ethnographic observations and 18 interviews with ward staff and relatives were undertaken. Three superordinate themes emerged from the data as crucial in determining the quality of the hospital experience: valuing the person; activities of empowerment and disempowerment and the interaction of environment with patient well-being. Whether the patient's hospital experience was positive or negative was powerfully influenced by family involvement and ward staff actions and communication. Participants identified a requirement for a ward based activity service for patients with cognitive impairment. Further research must be undertaken focusing on the development of ward based activities for patients with cognitive impairment, alongside a move towards care which explores measures to improve and expand relative involvement in hospital care.

Women’s Empowerment across Generations in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Schuler, Sidney Ruth; Rottach, Elisabeth

2010-01-01

This study uses qualitative data to examine young women’s relationships with their mothers and mothers-in-law to understand how these relationships foster empowerment in the younger generation or fail to do so. The data consist of ethnographic interviews with 20 triads of women—young married women, their mothers and their mothers-in-law. Findings show that the influence of empowerment across generations was greater in the sphere of economic empowerment and education than in relation to marriage and childbearing. The study illustrates how patriarchal institutions resistant to change can limit the effects of women’s empowerment on the next generation. PMID:20847904

From diminished men to conditionally masculine: sexuality and Australian men and adolescent boys with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Wilson, Nathan J; Parmenter, Trevor R; Stancliffe, Roger J; Shuttleworth, Russell P

2013-01-01

Men and boys with intellectual disability represent a unique group who have hitherto been overlooked by researchers and theorists exploring men and masculinities. Qualitative data from an Australian ethnographic study focused on the sexual health needs of men and adolescent boys with moderate to profound intellectual disability. Findings suggest that masculinity for this group of men is more a biopsychosocial phenomenon than a social construct organised around heteronormative ideals. The conditional masculinity of the men participating in the study was based instead on a number of intrinsic and external factors, which are described in detail.

Nurses' experiences of ethnographic fieldwork.

PubMed

de Melo, Lucas Pereira; Stofel, Natália Sevilha; Gualda, Dulce Maria Rosa; de Campos, Edemilson Antunes

2014-09-01

To reflect on the experiences of nurses performing ethnographic fieldwork in three studies. The application of ethnography to nursing research requires discussion about nurses' experiences of ethnographic fieldwork. This article examines some of the dilemmas that arise during the research process. Three ethnographic studies conducted by the authors in the south and southeast of Brazil. Excerpts from field diaries created during each research are presented at the end of each topic discussed. This is a reflexive paper that explores the nurses' experience in ethnographic fieldwork. This article discusses the main tasks involved in ethnographic research, including defining the study aim, reading and understanding anthropological theoretical bases, and setting a timeframe for the study. The article also discusses the idiosyncrasies of the cultural contexts studied, the bureaucracy that may be confronted when gaining access to the field, the difficulty of transforming the familiar into the strange, why ethnocentric perspectives should be avoided, and the anthropological doubt that places the ethnographer in the position of apprentice. It also discusses the importance of listening to others, reflexivity and strategies to stay in the field. For researchers, ethnographic fieldwork can be a rite of passage, but one that provides invaluable experiences that emphasise the value of relationships based on dialogue, reflexivity and negotiation. The main tasks undertaken in ethnographic research discussed in this article could contribute to the nurse' experience of conducting ethnographic fieldwork.

Ayahuasca's entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from 'addiction'.

PubMed

Talin, Piera; Sanabria, Emilia

2017-06-01

A range of studies has demonstrated the efficacy of the psychoactive Amazonian brew ayahuasca in addressing substance addiction. These have revealed that physiological and psychological mechanisms are deeply enmeshed. This article focuses on how interactive ritual contexts support the healing effort. The study of psychedelic-assisted treatments for addiction has much to gain from ethnographic analyses of healing experiences within the particular ecologies of use and care, where these interventions are rendered efficacious. This is an ethnographically grounded, qualitative analysis of addiction-recovery experiences within ayahuasca rituals. It draws on long-term fieldwork and participant observation in ayahuasca communities, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews of participants with histories of substance misuse. Ayahuasca's efficacy in the treatment of addiction blends somatic, symbolic and collective dimensions. The layering of these effects, and the direction given to them through ritual, circumscribes the experience and provides tools to render it meaningful. Prevailing modes of evaluation are ill suited to account for the particular material and semiotic efficacy of complex interventions such as ayahuasca healing for addiction. The article argues that practices of care characteristic of the ritual spaces in which ayahuasca is collectively consumed, play a key therapeutic role. The ritual use of ayahuasca stands in strong contrast to hegemonic understandings of addiction, paving new ground between the overstated difference between community and pharmacological interventions. The article concludes that fluid, adaptable forms of caregiving play a key role in the success of addiction recovery and that feeling part of a community has an important therapeutic potential. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ethnographic Depiction of a Multiethnic School: A Comparison to Desegregated Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semons, Maryann

This report compares the findings of a recent ethnographic study of a multiethnic urban high school to some of the highlights of a series of ten-year-old ethnographic studies on court-ordered desegregated school settings. The study of the multiethnic urban school employed an ethnographic design whereby a participant-observer interviewed students…

Parental, child, and adolescent experience of chronic skin conditions: A meta-ethnography and review of the qualitative literature.

PubMed

Ablett, Kate; Thompson, Andrew R

2016-12-01

Childhood skin conditions can affect the quality of life of children, adolescents, and families. As such, paediatric dermatological conditions have been the focus of a number of qualitative studies and there is now a need to integrate the findings. A meta-ethnography was carried out with the existing 12 studies, which included nine studies examining parental experiences and three studies of child experiences. Meta-ethnographic analysis of the studies identified themes focused on the child's sense of stigmatisation and the challenges for families that arose from this. Common experiences across studies were feelings of difference relating to the appearance of the skin. The results highlight that children and adolescents can experience negative social reactions and that parents may struggle with some aspects of the physical management of the condition. The studies indicate the need to examine in more detail the psychosocial aspects of childhood skin conditions and the role played by stigmatisation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Criminalisation of clients: reproducing vulnerabilities for violence and poor health among street-based sex workers in Canada-a qualitative study.

PubMed

Krüsi, A; Pacey, K; Bird, L; Taylor, C; Chettiar, J; Allan, S; Bennett, D; Montaner, J S; Kerr, T; Shannon, K

2014-06-02

To explore how criminalisation and policing of sex buyers (clients) rather than sex workers shapes sex workers' working conditions and sexual transactions including risk of violence and HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Qualitative and ethnographic study triangulated with sex work-related violence prevalence data and publicly available police statistics. Vancouver, Canada, provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the impact of policies that criminalise clients as the local police department adopted a sex work enforcement policy in January 2013 that prioritises sex workers' safety over arrest, while continuing to target clients. 26 cisgender and 5 transgender women who were street-based sex workers (n=31) participated in semistructured interviews about their working conditions. All had exchanged sex for money in the previous 30 days in Vancouver. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts and ethnographic field notes focused on how police enforcement of clients shaped sex workers' working conditions and sexual transactions, including risk of violence and HIV/STIs, over an 11-month period postpolicy implementation (January-November 2013). Sex workers' narratives and ethnographic observations indicated that while police sustained a high level of visibility, they eased charging or arresting sex workers and showed increased concern for their safety. However, participants' accounts and police statistics indicated continued police enforcement of clients. This profoundly impacted the safety strategies sex workers employed. Sex workers continued to mistrust police, had to rush screening clients and were displaced to outlying areas with increased risks of violence, including being forced to engage in unprotected sex. These findings suggest that criminalisation and policing strategies that target clients reproduce the harms created by the criminalisation of sex work, in particular, vulnerability to violence and HIV/STIs. The current findings support decriminalisation of sex work to ensure work conditions that support the health and safety of sex workers in Canada and globally. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Health, ethics and environment: a qualitative study of vegetarian motivations.

PubMed

Fox, Nick; Ward, Katie

2008-01-01

This qualitative study explored the motivations of vegetarians by means of online ethnographic research with participants in an international message board. The researcher participated in discussions on the board, gathered responses to questions from 33 participants, and conducted follow-up e-mail interviews with 18 of these participants. Respondents were predominantly from the US, Canada and the UK. Seventy per cent were females, and ages ranged from 14 to 53, with a median of 26 years. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. While this research found that health and the ethical treatment of animals were the main motivators for participants' vegetarianism, participants reported a range of commitments to environmental concerns, although in only one case was environmentalism a primary motivator for becoming a vegetarian. The data indicate that vegetarians may follow a trajectory, in which initial motivations are augmented over time by other reasons for sustaining or further restricting their diet.

Using a meta-ethnographic approach to explore the nature of facilitation and teaching approaches employed in interprofessional education.

PubMed

Reeves, Scott; Pelone, Ferruccio; Hendry, Julie; Lock, Nicholas; Marshall, Jayne; Pillay, Leontia; Wood, Ruth

2016-12-01

Interprofessional facilitators and teachers are regarded as central to the effective delivery of interprofessional education (IPE). As the IPE literature continues to expand, most studies have focused on reporting learner outcomes, with little attention paid to IPE facilitation. However, a number of studies have recently emerged reporting on this phenomenon. To present a synthesis of qualitative evidence on the facilitation of IPE, using a meta-ethnographic approach. Electronic databases and journals were searched for the past 10 years. Of the 2164 abstracts initially found, 94 full papers were reviewed and subsequently 12 papers were included. Teams of two reviewers independently completed each step in the review process. The quality of these papers was assessed using a modified critical appraisal checklist. Seven key concepts embedded in the included studies were synthesized into three main factors which provided an insight into the nature of IPE facilitation. Specifically, the synthesis found that IPE facilitation is influenced by "contextual characteristics"; "facilitator experiences"; and the "use of different facilitation strategies". IPE facilitation is a complex activity affected by contextual, experiential and pedagogical factors. Further research is needed to explore the effects of these factors on the delivery of IPE.

Power, Agency and Participatory Agendas: A Critical Exploration of Young People's Engagement in Participative Qualitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Sally; Renold, Emma; Ross, Nicola J.; Hillman, Alexandra

2010-01-01

This article critically explores data generated within a participatory research project with young people in the care of a local authority, the (Extra)ordinary Lives project. The project involved ethnographic multi-media data generation methods used in groups and individually with eight participants (aged 10-20) over a school year and encouraged…

Mapping the Ethnographic Journey: A "Road Map" for Novice Researchers Wanting to Engage in Ethnography, Critical Theory and Policy Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naidu, Sham

2012-01-01

In this article, the "researcher" narrates the issues faced by novice researchers in choosing the correct lenses to conduct research when searching for the truth via the use of qualitative methodology. It is argued that choosing an appropriate research approach and methodology can be described as an "arduous" journey. For the…

An Art Educator's Journey of Becoming a Researcher: A Self-Reflective Auto-Ethnography of Identity Construction and Personal Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riedler, Martina

2016-01-01

In this self-reflective auto-ethnographic research, the author shares her experiences of introspection, change and professional growth as an art educator in an international context. Auto-ethnography is an approach to qualitative inquiry in which the researcher employs self-reflection to explore her personal experiences and connect these…

Letters to Grandma: A Comparison of Generational Perspectives of Women's Growth as Higher Education Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Elyn McReynolds

2014-01-01

This ethnographic compilation is the result of a course exercise in qualitative research. A current student of Texas Tech University interviewed an 87-year old faculty member from the 1950s, comparing her experiences to those of the author in similar, present-day academic environments. The author developed the format of the paper as letters…

[Perception of parents about second hand smoke on the health of their children: an ethnographic study].

PubMed

de Carvalho Ribeiro, Fabiane Alves; de Moraes, Micaele Kedma Ribeiro; de Morais Caixeta, Joyce Cristina; da Silva, Jullieth Nadja; Lima, Amanda Sanches; Parreira, Samara Lamounier Santana; Fernandes, Viviane Lemos Silva

2015-12-01

To analyze the perception of parents about secondhand smoking in their children's health. Ethnographic qualitative and quantitative study. We sought the point of view and understanding of the parents that were active smokers in relation to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and secondhand smoking. Mothers and fathers who are active smokers and that live with their children from seven different public schools in the city of Anápolis, Midwest Brazil, were interviewed in the first semester of in a reserved room in the schools. A descriptive and qualitative analysis was carried out through the ethnography. 58 parents with an average time of smoking of 15.3 years and an average quantity of cigarettes smoked per day of 2 were interviewed. Among them, 59% didn't know what ETS was, and 60% stated knowing what a secondhand smoker was. However, when questioned about their children as secondhand smokers, 52% didn't consider them to be. Some parents knew some of the effects of secondhand smoking in the health of their children. However, the majority (52%) of them did not believe that their children would suffer any respiratory impairment or did not know about these impairments. Children were exposed to Environmental Tobacco Pollution in their residence if one considers parental duration of smoking and average of cigarettes smoked per day. There was a lack of knowledge of the parents about ETS, secondhand smoking and the evils that cigarettes could cause in the health of their children. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

The Effects and Meanings of Receiving a Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer’s Disease When One Lives Alone

PubMed Central

Portacolone, Elena; Johnson, Julene K.; Covinsky, Kenneth E.; Halpern, Jodi; Rubinstein, Robert L.

2018-01-01

Background One third of older adults with cognitive impairment live alone and are at high risk for poor health outcomes. Little is known about how older adults who live alone experience the process of receiving a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objective The aim of this study was to understand the effects and meanings of receiving a diagnosis of MCI or AD on the lived experience of older adults living alone. Methods This is a qualitative study of adults age 65 and over living alone with cognitive impairment. Participants’ lived experiences were elicited through ethnographic interviews and participant observation in their homes. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, interview transcripts and fieldnotes were analyzed to identify codes and themes. Results Twenty-nine older adults and 6 members of their social circles completed 114 ethnographic interviews. Core themes included: relief, distress, ambiguous recollections, and not knowing what to do. Participants sometimes felt uplifted and relieved by the diagnostic process. Some participants did not mention having received a diagnosis or had only partial recollections about it. Participants reported that, as time passed, they did not know what to do with regard to the treatment of their condition. Sometimes they also did not know how to prepare for a likely worsening of their condition, which they would experience while living alone. Conclusion Findings suggest the need for more tailored care and follow-up as soon as MCI or AD is diagnosed in persons living alone. PMID:29376864

Pharmacist-industry relationships.

PubMed

Saavedra, Keene; O'Connor, Bonnie; Fugh-Berman, Adriane

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to document, in their own words, beliefs and attitudes that American pharmacists have towards the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacists' interactions with industry. An ethnographic-style qualitative study was conducted utilizing open-ended interviews with four hospital pharmacists, two independent pharmacists, two retail pharmacists and one administrative pharmacist in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area to elicit descriptions of and attitudes towards pharmacists' relationships with industry. Analysis of the qualitative material followed established ethnographic conventions of narrative thematic analysis. All pharmacists reported interactions with pharmaceutical company representatives. Most had received free resources or services from industry, including educational courses. Respondents uniformly believed that industry promotional efforts are primarily directed towards physicians. Although respondents felt strongly that drug prices were excessive and that 'me-too' drugs were of limited use, they generally had a neutral-to-positive view of industry-funded adherence/compliance programmes, coupons, vouchers, and copay payment programmes. Interviewees viewed direct-to-consumer advertising negatively, but had a generally positive view of industry-funded drug information. Pharmacists may represent a hitherto under-identified cohort of health professionals who are targeted for industry influence; expanding roles for pharmacists may make them even more attractive targets for future industry attention. Pharmacy schools should ensure that students learn to rely on unbiased information sources and should teach students about conflicts of interest and the risks of interacting with industry. Further research should be conducted on the extent to which pharmacists' attitudes towards their duties and towards drug assessment and recommendation are influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Teaching qualitative research as a means of socialization to nursing.

PubMed

Arieli, Daniella; Tamir, Batya; Man, Michal

2015-06-01

The aim of the present article is to present a model for teaching qualitative research as part of nursing education. The uniqueness of the course model is that it seeks to combine two objectives: (1) initial familiarization of the students with the clinical-nursing environment and the role of the nurse; and (2) understanding the qualitative research approach and inculcation of basic qualitative research skills. The article describes how teaching two central genres in qualitative research - ethnographic and narrative research - constitutes a way of teaching the important skills, concepts, and values of the nursing profession. The article presents the model's structure, details its principal stages, and explains the rationale of each stage. It also presents the central findings of an evaluation of the model's implementation in eight groups over a two-year period. In this way the article seeks to contribute to nursing education literature in general, and to those engaged in clinical training and teaching qualitative research in nursing education in particular. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structured Qualitative Research: Organizing “Mountains of Words” for Data Analysis, both Qualitative and Quantitative

PubMed Central

Johnson, Bruce D.; Dunlap, Eloise; Benoit, Ellen

2008-01-01

Qualitative research creates mountains of words. U.S. federal funding supports mostly structured qualitative research, which is designed to test hypotheses using semi-quantitative coding and analysis. The authors have 30 years of experience in designing and completing major qualitative research projects, mainly funded by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA]. This article reports on strategies for planning, organizing, collecting, managing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and writing about qualitative data so as to most efficiently manage the mountains of words collected in large-scale ethnographic projects. Multiple benefits accrue from this approach. Several different staff members can contribute to the data collection, even when working from remote locations. Field expenditures are linked to units of work so productivity is measured, many staff in various locations have access to use and analyze the data, quantitative data can be derived from data that is primarily qualitative, and improved efficiencies of resources are developed. The major difficulties involve a need for staff who can program and manage large databases, and who can be skillful analysts of both qualitative and quantitative data. PMID:20222777

A meta-ethnographic synthesis on phenomenographic studies of patients’ experiences of chronic illness

PubMed Central

Röing, Marta

2015-01-01

Phenomenography is a qualitative research approach developed within an educational framework, focusing on the qualitative experience of learning. It is also being used, to a lesser degree, in healthcare research. In the present study, we conducted a meta-ethnographic synthesis of phenomenographic studies on chronic illness, in order to give a broader perspective of how chronic illness can be experienced. Our aim was not to describe patients’ various individual experiences of illness, but instead to identify the different ways chronic illness can be experienced by patients. Our synthesis and phenomenographic interpretation of 12 selected articles found that patients’ experiences of chronic illness can be described in terms of a different lived body, a struggle with threat to identity and self-esteem, a diminished lifeworld, and a challenging reality. These experiences relate to each other in a process of recurring loops, where the different ways of experiencing continue to influence each other over time. According to these findings, the use of phenomenography as a research approach has the potential to add to the understanding of how chronic illness can be experienced. Patients may benefit from seeing that their illness can be experienced in many different ways and that it has many aspects, which then can lead to a better understanding and coping with their illness. We suggest that it may be worthwhile to expand the scope of phenomenography outside pedagogics. This presupposes a revision of the application to include a wider and more comprehensive description, for instance, of the different ways illness and healthcare phenomena can be experienced, and how these different ways are related to each other, with less focus on hierarchical relations. PMID:25690674

Passing the baton: Community-based ethnography to design a randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among Black men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Garcia, Jonathan; Colson, Paul W; Parker, Caroline; Hirsch, Jennifer S

2015-11-01

Although HIV interventions and clinical trials increasingly report the use of mixed methods, studies have not reported on the process through which ethnographic or qualitative findings are incorporated into RCT designs. We conducted a community-based ethnography on social and structural factors that may affect the acceptance of and adherence to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM). We then devised the treatment arm of an adherence clinical trial drawing on findings from the community-based ethnography. This article describes how ethnographic findings informed the RCT and identifies distilled themes and findings that could be included as part of an RCT. The enhanced intervention includes in-person support groups, online support groups, peer navigation, and text message reminders. By describing key process-related facilitators and barriers to conducting meaningful mixed methods research, we provide important insights for the practice of designing clinical trials for 'real-world' community settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Passing the Baton: Community-based ethnography to design a randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among Black men who have sex with men

PubMed Central

Garcia, Jonathan; Colson, Paul W.; Parker, Caroline; Hirsch, Jennifer S.

2015-01-01

Although HIV interventions and clinical trials increasingly report the use of mixed methods, studies have not reported on the process through which ethnographic or qualitative findings are incorporated into RCT designs. We conducted a community-based ethnography on social and structural factors that may affect the acceptance of and adherence to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM). We then devised the treatment arm of an adherence clinical trial drawing on findings from the community-based ethnography. This article describes how ethnographic findings informed the RCT and identifies distilled themes and findings that could be included as part of an RCT. The enhanced intervention includes in-person support groups, online support groups, peer navigation, and text message reminders. By describing key process-related facilitators and barriers to conducting meaningful mixed methods research, we provide important insights for the practice of designing clinical trials for ‘real-world’ community settings. PMID:26476286

“People Knew They Could Come Here to Get Help”: An Ethnographic Study of Assisted Injection Practices at a Peer-Run ‘Unsanctioned’ Supervised Drug Consumption Room in a Canadian Setting

PubMed Central

McNeil, Ryan; Small, Will; Lampkin, Hugh; Shannon, Kate; Kerr, Thomas

2013-01-01

People who require help injecting are disproportionately vulnerable to drug-related harm, including HIV transmission. North America’s only sanctioned SIF operates in Vancouver, Canada under an exemption to federal drug laws, which imposes operating regulations prohibiting assisted injections. In response, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) launched a peer-run unsanctioned SIF in which trained peer volunteers provide assisted injections to increase the coverage of supervised injection services and minimize drug-related harm. We undertook qualitative interviews (n=23) and ethnographic observation (50 hours) to explore how this facility shaped assisted injection practices. Findings indicated that VANDU reshaped the social, structural, and spatial contexts of assisted injection practices in a manner that minimized HIV and other health risks, while allowing people who require help injecting to escape drug scene violence. Findings underscore the need for changes to regulatory frameworks governing SIFs to ensure that they accommodate people who require help injecting. PMID:23797831

Health system factors affecting communication with pediatricians: gendered work culture in primary care.

PubMed

Lynch, Sean

2011-01-01

This qualitative study examined the roles that practice setting, education level, and gender may play in social workers' communication satisfaction with pediatricians. Taking an ethnographic approach, the researcher interviewed social workers and pediatricians who worked together to provide mental health services in primary care. The results suggested that gender at the health system level may be an issue and that gendered work culture in primary care was a factor in communication. In particular, reimbursement, an aspect of the gendered work culture, was a substantial communication barrier, and the implications for Medicaid billing are discussed.

THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION AND GENTRIFICATION ON AN OUTDOOR TRANS SEX WORK ENVIRONMENT: VIOLENCE, DISPLACEMENT AND POLICING.

PubMed

Lyons, Tara; Krüsi, Andrea; Pierre, Leslie; Small, Will; Shannon, Kate

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate how environmental and structural changes to a trans outdoor work environment impacted sex workers in Vancouver, Canada. The issue of changes to the work area arose during qualitative interviews with 33 trans sex workers. In response, ethnographic walks that incorporated photography were undertaken with trans sex workers. Changes to the work environment were found to increase vulnerabilities to client violence, displace trans sex workers, and affect policing practices. Within a criminalized context, construction and gentrification enhanced vulnerabilities to violence and harassment from police and residents.

The ethics of data collection: unintended consequences?

PubMed

Wainwright, Delia; Sambrook, Sally

2010-01-01

The aims is to consider the political and ethical challenges involved in conducting ethnographic managerial/organisational behaviour research within the highly regulated health and social care context, in light of the emergence of more stringent "ethical approval" policies and requirements set by Local Research Ethics Committees in the United Kingdom. In the attempt and requirement to protect "vulnerable" employees, this paper aims to present an unintended paradox of consequences when participants voluntarily revealed themselves. The authors briefly review literature on research ethics and present an understanding of the ethical regulations currently existing within the British National Health Service. Within an ethnographic case study exploring the psychological contract, the authors consider the issues that arose during one stage of data collection: a qualitative questionnaire survey with 13 participants, including members of the lead author's team. Incorporating excerpts from the researcher's reflexive journal, the paper exposes the struggles of being an "insider" researcher and the tensions this raises for data analysis when participants voluntarily revealed themselves. Ethnography is at "risk" within health and social care and ethnographic "managerial" research is likely to be unduly restricted and potentially threatened. The evidence suggests that some employees either did not wish to be protected or, conversely, felt compelled to reveal their identities, raising questions of their motivation and creating a paradox of unintended consequences. This paper offers an insight into the challenges of conducting nurse-managerial ethnography in compliance with ethical guidelines, yet disrupted by participants. The findings will be useful to other nurse-researchers attempting to conduct insider research.

Exploring multiple trajectories of causality: collaboration between Anthropology and Epidemiology in the 1982 birth cohort, Pelotas, Southern Brazil

PubMed Central

Béhague, Dominique P; Gonçalves, Helen

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Although the relationship between epidemiology and anthropology has a long history, it has generally been comprised of the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods. Only recently have the two fields begun to converge along theoretical lines, leading to a growing mutual interest in explaining rather than simply describing phenomena. This paper aimed to illustrate how ethnographic analyses can be used to assist with the in-depth and theoretically-imbued interpretation of epidemiological results. METHODS: The anthropological analysis presented in this paper used ethnographic data collected as part of the ongoing 1982 birth cohort study, between 1997 and 2007 in Pelotas, Southern Brazil. Analyses were framed according to the results presented in two of the epidemiological articles published in this series on the determinants of mental morbidity and age of sexual initiation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The ethnographic results show that statistical associations consist of multiple pathways of influence and causality that generally correspond to the unique experiences of specific subgroups. In exploring these pathways, the paper highlights the importance of an additional set of mediating factors that account for epidemiological results; these include the awareness and experience of inequities, the role of violence in everyday life, traumatic life events, increasing social isolation and emotional introversion as a response to life's difficulties, and differing approaches towards socio-psychological maturation. Theoretical and methodological collaboration between anthropology and epidemiology is important for public health, as it has positively modified both fields. PMID:19142353

[Exploring multiple trajectories of causality: collaboration between Anthropology and Epidemiology in the 1982 birth cohort, Pelotas, Southern Brazil].

PubMed

Béhague, Dominique P; Gonçalves, Helen

2008-12-01

Although the relationship between epidemiology and anthropology has a long history, it has generally been comprised of the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods. Only recently have the two fields begun to converge along theoretical lines, leading to a growing mutual interest in explaining rather than simply describing phenomena. This paper aimed to illustrate how ethnographic analyses can be used to assist with the in-depth and theoretically-imbued interpretation of epidemiological results. The anthropological analysis presented in this paper used ethnographic data collected as part of the ongoing 1982 birth cohort study, between 1997 and 2007 in Pelotas, Southern Brazil. Analyses were framed according to the results presented in two of the epidemiological articles published in this series on the determinants of mental morbidity and age of sexual initiation. The ethnographic results show that statistical associations consist of multiple pathways of influence and causality that generally correspond to the unique experiences of specific subgroups. In exploring these pathways, the paper highlights the importance of an additional set of mediating factors that account for epidemiological results; these include the awareness and experience of inequities, the role of violence in everyday life, traumatic life events, increasing social isolation and emotional introversion as a response to life's difficulties, and differing approaches towards socio-psychological maturation. Theoretical and methodological collaboration between anthropology and epidemiology is important for public health, as it has positively modified both fields.

From community college to 4-year institutions: Latinas' successful completion of STEM baccalaureate degrees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamudio, Rocio

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the narrative of Latina graduates who successfully navigated through community college and 4-year institutions in the STEM fields. Rather than focus on what these students lack as much of the current research does, the study explored what assets these students bring that supports their success in STEM fields. Utilizing an ethnographic interview approach, participants who attained STEM baccalaureates in California were interviewed. Qualitative findings revealed various experiences, attitudes, and cultural influences that led to successful completion of a STEM degree. First, the study found that successful community college Latina STEM graduates exhibit grit, are resilient, determined, and have positive attitudes about their underrepresentation in STEM. Second, participants sought after peer, faculty, and staff relationships that helped them be successful. Lastly, participants had the support of their families and reported a high level of connectedness to their culture. Implications, recommendations for practice, and directions for future research are discussed.

Family perception of anorexia and bulimia: a systematic review.

PubMed

Espíndola, Cybele Ribeiro; Blay, Sérgio Luís

2009-08-01

A systematic literature review published between 1990 and 2006 using a qualitative approach was conducted to explore family members' perception of anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients. Articles were critically reviewed and a meta-synthesis analysis was carried out based on a meta-ethnographic method to analyze and summarize data. Of a total of 3,415 studies, nine met the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Reciprocal translation was used for data interpretation allowing to identifying two concepts: disease awareness and disease impacts. Feelings of impotence were often described in family reorganization. The study results point to distortions in the concept of disease associated with family involvement, resulting in changes in communication, attitudes, and behaviors in a context of impotence.

A naturalistic study of railway controllers.

PubMed

Farrington-Darby, T; Wilson, John R; Norris, B J; Clarke, Theresa

There is an increasing prevalence for work to be analysed through naturalistic study, especially using ethnographically derived methods of enquiry and qualitative field research. The relatively unexplored domain of railway control (in comparison to signalling) in the UK is described in terms of features derived from observations and semi-structured interviews. In addition, task diagrams (a technique taken from the Applied Cognitive Task Analysis toolkit) are used to represent controllers' core elements of work, i.e. to manage events or incidents, and to identify the challenging steps in the process. The work features identified, the task diagrams, and the steps identified as challenging form a basis from which future ergonomics studies on railway controllers in the UK will be carried out.

"I Think Boys Would Rather Be Alpha Male": Being Male and Sexual Health Experiences of Young Men from a Deprived Area in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, F.; Bristow, K.; Robertson, S.; Norman, R.; Litva, A.; Stanistreet, D.

2013-01-01

Objective: To explore the experiences of young men aged 16-19, living in an area of high deprivation, when accessing local sexual health services. Design: A qualitative design drawing on ethnographic methods. Setting: A local college. Methods: A multi-method approach was adopted using: one-to-one semi-structured interviews with young men and…

Ethnographic case study of a high school science classroom: Strategies in stem education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, Lucinda N.

Historically, science education research has promoted that learning science occurs through direct physical experiences. In recent years, the need for best practices and student motivation have been highlighted in STEM research findings. In response to the instructional challenges in STEM education, the National Research Council has provided guidelines for improving STEM literacy through best practices in science and mathematics instruction. A baseline qualitative ethnographic case study of the effect of instructional practices on a science classroom was an opportunity to understand how a teacher and students work together to learn in an International Baccalaureate life science course. This study was approached through an interpretivist lens with the assumption that learning science is socially constructed. The following were the research questions: 1.) How does the teacher implement science instruction strategies in the classroom? 2.) In what ways are students engaged in the classroom? 3.) How are science concepts communicated in the classroom? The total 35 participants included a high school science teacher and two classes of 11th grade students in the International Baccalaureate program. Using exploratory qualitative methods of research, data was collected from field notes and transcripts from a series of classroom observations, a single one-on-one interview with the teacher and two focus groups with students from each of the two classes. Three themes emerged from text coded using initial and process coding with the computer assisted qualitative data analysis software, MAXQDA. The themes were: 1.) Physical Forms of Communication Play Key Role in Instructional Strategy, 2.) Science Learning Occurs in Casual Environment Full of Distractions, and 3.) Teacher Persona Plays Vital Role in Classroom Culture. The findings provided insight into the teacher's role on students' motivation to learn science. The recommendation for STEM programs and new curriculum is a holistic and sustainable model for development and implementation. This approach brings together the researcher and practitioner to design effective and specific programs tailored to student needs. The implication of using an effective team model to plan and coordinate individualized STEM initiatives is a long-term commitment to overall STEM literacy, thereby fostering increased access to STEM careers for all learners.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and urban violence: an anthropological study.

PubMed

Da Silva-Mannel, Juliana; Andreoli, Sérgio Baxter; Martin, Denise

2013-10-25

The study aimed to understand how "distress" is experienced by patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the social-cultural context of São Paulo, Brazil, an urban environment marked by social inequality and high levels of violence. A qualitative study was conducted between 2008 and 2010 with PTSD patients (F43.1, ICD-10, 1997) who had been victims of robberies and kidnappings in São Paulo. Dense ethnographic observations were carried out, as well as in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten adult patients. The analysis method used was based on anthropology. The results show that it is particularly important to distinguish between perceptions of different forms of the experience of social suffering and perceptions of health and illness held by victims and biomedical experts. The cause of PTSD is more often associated with the personal problems of the victim than with the specific traumatic event. The distress described in terms of what is considered a "normal" reaction to violence and what is considered a symptom of PTSD. The findings indicate that the diagnostic of PTSD can be understood in relation to the different contexts within a culture. The ethnographic approach serves not only to illuminate individual suffering but also the social suffering experienced by the residents of São Paulo.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Urban Violence: An Anthropological Study

PubMed Central

Da Silva-Mannel, Juliana; Andreoli, Sérgio Baxter; Martin, Denise

2013-01-01

The study aimed to understand how “distress” is experienced by patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the social-cultural context of São Paulo, Brazil, an urban environment marked by social inequality and high levels of violence. A qualitative study was conducted between 2008 and 2010 with PTSD patients (F43.1, ICD-10, 1997) who had been victims of robberies and kidnappings in São Paulo. Dense ethnographic observations were carried out, as well as in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten adult patients. The analysis method used was based on anthropology. The results show that it is particularly important to distinguish between perceptions of different forms of the experience of social suffering and perceptions of health and illness held by victims and biomedical experts. The cause of PTSD is more often associated with the personal problems of the victim than with the specific traumatic event. The distress described in terms of what is considered a “normal” reaction to violence and what is considered a symptom of PTSD. The findings indicate that the diagnostic of PTSD can be understood in relation to the different contexts within a culture. The ethnographic approach serves not only to illuminate individual suffering but also the social suffering experienced by the residents of São Paulo. PMID:24284352

Help Seeking Behavior of Women with Self-Discovered Breast Cancer Symptoms: A Meta-Ethnographic Synthesis of Patient Delay

PubMed Central

Khakbazan, Zohreh; Taghipour, Ali; Latifnejad Roudsari, Robab; Mohammadi, Eesa

2014-01-01

Background and Objective Patient delay makes a critical contribution to late diagnosis and poor survival in cases of breast cancer. Identifying the factors that influence patient delay could provide information for adopting strategies that shorten this delay. The aim of this meta-ethnography was to synthesize existing qualitative evidence in order to gain a new understanding of help seeking behavior in women with self-discovered breast cancer symptoms and to determine the factors that influence patient delay. Methods The design was a meta-ethnography approach. A systematic search of the articles was performed in different databases including Elsevier, PubMed, ProQuest and SCOPUS. Qualitative studies with a focus on help seeking behaviors in women with self-discovered breast cancer symptoms and patient delay, published in the English language between 1990 and 2013 were included. The quality appraisal of the articles was carried out using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative research checklist and 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis was conducted according to Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnographic approach (1988), through reciprocal translational analysis and lines-of-argument. Findings The synthesis led to identification of eight repeated key concepts including: symptom detection, initial symptom interpretation, symptom monitoring, social interaction, emotional reaction, priority of medical help, appraisal of health services and personal-environmental factors. Symptom interpretation is identified as the important step of the help seeking process and which changed across the process through active monitoring of their symptoms, social interactions and emotional reactions. The perceived seriousness of the situation, priority to receive medical attention, perceived inaccessibility and unacceptability of the health care system influenced women’s decision-making about utilizing health services. Conclusion Help seeking processes are influenced by multiple factors. Educational programs aimed at correcting misunderstandings, erroneous social beliefs and improving self-awareness could provide key strategies to improve health policy which would reduce patient delay. PMID:25470732

Tackling complexities in understanding the social determinants of health: the contribution of ethnographic research.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Mridula

2011-11-25

The complexities inherent in understanding the social determinants of health are often not well-served by quantitative approaches. My aim is to show that well-designed and well-conducted ethnographic studies have an important contribution to make in this regard. Ethnographic research designs are a difficult but rigorous approach to research questions that require us to understand the complexity of people's social and cultural lives. I draw on an ethnographic study to describe the complexities of studying maternal health in a rural area in India. I then show how the lessons learnt in that setting and context can be applied to studies done in very different settings. I show how ethnographic research depends for rigour on a theoretical framework for sample selection; why immersion in the community under study, and rapport building with research participants, is important to ensure rich and meaningful data; and how flexible approaches to data collection lead to the gradual emergence of an analysis based on intense cross-referencing with community views and thus a conclusion that explains the similarities and differences observed. When using ethnographic research design it can be difficult to specify in advance the exact details of the study design. Researchers can encounter issues in the field that require them to change what they planned on doing. In rigorous ethnographic studies, the researcher in the field is the research instrument and needs to be well trained in the method. Ethnographic research is challenging, but nevertheless provides a rewarding way of researching complex health problems that require an understanding of the social and cultural determinants of health.

Enabling Analysis of Big, Thick, Long, and Wide Data: Data Management for the Analysis of a Large Longitudinal and Cross-National Narrative Data Set.

PubMed

Winskell, Kate; Singleton, Robyn; Sabben, Gaelle

2018-03-01

Distinctive longitudinal narrative data, collected during a critical 18-year period in the history of the HIV epidemic, offer a unique opportunity to examine how young Africans are making sense of evolving developments in HIV prevention and treatment. More than 200,000 young people from across sub-Saharan Africa took part in HIV-themed scriptwriting contests held at eight discrete time points between 1997 and 2014, creating more than 75,000 narratives. This article describes the data reduction and management strategies developed for our cross-national and longitudinal study of these qualitative data. The study aims to inform HIV communication practice by identifying cultural meanings and contextual factors that inform sexual behaviors and social practices, and also to help increase understanding of processes of sociocultural change. We describe our sampling strategies and our triangulating methodologies, combining in-depth narrative analysis, thematic qualitative analysis, and quantitative analysis, which are designed to enable systematic comparison without sacrificing ethnographic richness.

"Move or Suffer": Is Age-Segregation the New Norm for Older Americans Living Alone?

PubMed

Portacolone, Elena; Halpern, Jodi

2016-08-01

Despite ethical claims that civic societies should foster intergenerational integration, age-segregation is a widespread yet understudied phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons that led community-dwelling older Americans to relocate into senior housing. Qualitative data were collected through participant observation and ethnographic interviews with 47 older adults living alone in San Francisco, California. Half of study participants lived in housing for seniors, the other half in conventional housing. Data were analyzed with standard qualitative methods. Findings illuminate the dynamics that favor age-segregation. Senior housing might be cheaper, safer, and offer more socializing opportunities than conventional housing. Yet, tenants of senior housing may also experience isolation, crime, and distress. Findings suggest that rather than individual preference, cultural, political, and economic factors inform the individual decision to relocate into age-segregated settings. Findings also call for an increased awareness on the ethical implications of societies increasingly segregated by age. © The Author(s) 2014.

Understanding the gender aspects of tuberculosis: a narrative analysis of the lived experiences of women with TB in slums of Delhi, India.

PubMed

Khan, Koushambhi Basu

2012-01-01

There have been few ethnographic studies on gender aspects of tuberculosis (TB). In this article, drawing on a qualitative study on TB in Delhi slums and through an intersectional analysis of group interviews and personal narratives of women living with TB, I bring forth the "genderization" of TB and the associated sufferings for women. With my findings I demonstrate how gender, in conjunction with other social forces, influences the disease outcomes and stigmatizes women, how lives in slums are uniquely organized by multiple discourses that contribute to the gender makings of TB, and, finally, how women strategize to reduce their burden of illness.

Bananas, pesticides and health in southwestern Ecuador: A scalar narrative approach to targeting public health responses.

PubMed

Brisbois, Benjamin

2016-02-01

Public health responses to agricultural pesticide exposure are often informed by ethnographic or other qualitative studies of pesticide risk perception. In addition to highlighting the importance of structural determinants of exposure, such studies can identify the specific scales at which pesticide-exposed individuals locate responsibility for their health issues, with implications for study and intervention design. In this study, an ethnographic approach was employed to map scalar features within explanatory narratives of pesticides and health in Ecuador's banana-producing El Oro province. Unstructured observation, 14 key informant interviews and 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out during 8 months of fieldwork in 2011-2013. Analysis of interview data was informed by human geographic literature on the social construction of scale. Individual-focused narratives of some participants highlighted characteristics such as carelessness and ignorance, leading to suggestions for educational interventions. More structural explanations invoked farm-scale processes, such as uncontrolled aerial fumigations on plantations owned by elites. Organization into cooperatives helped to protect small-scale farmers from 'deadly' banana markets, which in turn were linked to the Ecuadorian nation-state and actors in the banana-consuming world. These scalar elements interacted in complex ways that appear linked to social class, as more well-off individuals frequently attributed the health problems of other (poorer) people to individual behaviours, while providing more structural explanations of their own difficulties. Such individualizing narratives may help to stabilize inequitable social structures. Research implications of this study include the possibility of using scale-focused qualitative research to generate theory and candidate levels for multi-level models. Equity implications include a need for public health researchers planning interventions to engage with scale-linked inequities, such as disparities within nation-states. Finally, the prominence of the global North in explanatory narratives is a useful reminder that 'structural factors' prominently include inequities related to the legacies of colonialism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aged women, witchcraft, and social relations among the Igbo in South-Eastern Nigeria.

PubMed

Atata, Scholastica Ngozi

2018-02-13

Belief in the existence of witchcraft has remained a social phenomenon in Igbo society, especially with aged women who are often labeled witches. This study is exploratory and explains the implication of labeling an aged woman a witch and social relations in Igbo society in South-Eastern Nigeria. Twenty interviews were conducted with aged women who are victims of the witchcraft label and their relatives using qualitative methods of data collection, key informant interviews, and in-depth interviews. Data collected were analyzed using ethnographic content analysis. Findings reveal different social views attached to witchcraft and how it relates to aged women.

Poetic expressions of vigilance.

PubMed

Carr, Jeanine M

2003-11-01

In this article, the author explores poetic transcription as an experimental form of writing. Her previous ethnographic research, in which she explored the experience of vigilance for family members who stayed at the bedside of hospitalized relatives, provided the qualitative data for the poetic compositions. In this article, she describes the background and rationale for the research, the findings, and her use of the data to transcribe them into poetic expressions of the lived experience of vigilance.

Subjective health of undocumented migrants in Germany - a mixed methods approach.

PubMed

Kuehne, Anna; Huschke, Susann; Bullinger, Monika

2015-09-19

Health of migrants is known to be above-average in the beginning of the migration trajectory. At the same time reports from non-government organisations (NGOs) suggest that undocumented migrants in Germany tend to present late and in poor health at healthcare facilities. In this paper, we explore the health status of undocumented migrants with a mixed method approach including complementary qualitative and quantitative datasets. Undocumented migrants attending a NGO based in Hamburg, Germany, were asked to fill in the SF-12v2, a standardized questionnaire measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The SF-12v2 was analyzed in comparison to the U.S. American norm sample and a representative German sample. Differences in mean scores for HRQOL were evaluated with a t-test and with a generalized linear model analyzing the impact of living without legal status on HRQOL. The quantitative research was complemented by a qualitative ethnographic study on undocumented migration and health in Berlin, Germany. The study included semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and participant observation with Latin American migrants over the course of three years. The study focused on subjective experiences of illness and health and the impact of illegality on migrants' health and access to health care. HRQOL was significantly worse in the sample of undocumented migrants (n = 96) as compared to the U.S. American sample (p < 0.005). Living without legal status displayed a significant negative effect on subjective mental and physical health (p ≤ 0.003) in the generalized linear model when adjusted for age and gender compared to the representative German population sample. The ethnographic study, which included 35 migrants, identified socio-economic conditions, the subjective experiences of criminalization, and late presentation at healthcare-facilities as the three main factors impacting on health from migrant perspective. The present research suggests a high morbidity and mortality in this comparatively young population. The ethnographic research confirms negative impacts on health of social determinants in general and stress associated with living without legal status in particular, both are further aggravated by exclusion from health care services. In addition to the provision of health care it appears to be important to structurally tackle the underlying social conditions which affect undocumented migrants' health. Living without legal status has a negative impact on health and well-being. Limited access to care may further exacerbate physical and mental illness. Possibilities to claim basic rights and protection as well as access to care without legal status appear to be important measures to improve health and well-being.

Tackling complexities in understanding the social determinants of health: the contribution of ethnographic research

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Objective The complexities inherent in understanding the social determinants of health are often not well-served by quantitative approaches. My aim is to show that well-designed and well-conducted ethnographic studies have an important contribution to make in this regard. Ethnographic research designs are a difficult but rigorous approach to research questions that require us to understand the complexity of people’s social and cultural lives. Approach I draw on an ethnographic study to describe the complexities of studying maternal health in a rural area in India. I then show how the lessons learnt in that setting and context can be applied to studies done in very different settings. Results I show how ethnographic research depends for rigour on a theoretical framework for sample selection; why immersion in the community under study, and rapport building with research participants, is important to ensure rich and meaningful data; and how flexible approaches to data collection lead to the gradual emergence of an analysis based on intense cross-referencing with community views and thus a conclusion that explains the similarities and differences observed. Conclusion When using ethnographic research design it can be difficult to specify in advance the exact details of the study design. Researchers can encounter issues in the field that require them to change what they planned on doing. In rigorous ethnographic studies, the researcher in the field is the research instrument and needs to be well trained in the method. Implication Ethnographic research is challenging, but nevertheless provides a rewarding way of researching complex health problems that require an understanding of the social and cultural determinants of health. PMID:22168509

Utilities of gossip across organizational levels : Multilevel selection, free-riders, and teams.

PubMed

Kniffin, Kevin M; Wilson, David Sloan

2005-09-01

Gossip is a subject that has been studied by researchers from an array of disciplines with various foci and methods. We measured the content of language use by members of a competitive sports team across 18 months, integrating qualitative ethnographic methods with quantitative sampling and analysis. We hypothesized that the use of gossip will vary significantly depending on whether it is used for self-serving or group-serving purposes. Our results support a model of gossip derived from multilevel selection theory that expects gossip to serve group-beneficial rules when rewards are partitioned at the group level on a scale that permits mutual monitoring. We integrate our case study with earlier studies of gossip conducted by anthropologists, psychologists, and management researchers.

Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 3: Sampling, data collection and analysis.

PubMed

Moser, Albine; Korstjens, Irene

2018-12-01

In the course of our supervisory work over the years, we have noticed that qualitative research tends to evoke a lot of questions and worries, so-called frequently asked questions (FAQs). This series of four articles intends to provide novice researchers with practical guidance for conducting high-quality qualitative research in primary care. By 'novice' we mean Master's students and junior researchers, as well as experienced quantitative researchers who are engaging in qualitative research for the first time. This series addresses their questions and provides researchers, readers, reviewers and editors with references to criteria and tools for judging the quality of qualitative research papers. The second article focused on context, research questions and designs, and referred to publications for further reading. This third article addresses FAQs about sampling, data collection and analysis. The data collection plan needs to be broadly defined and open at first, and become flexible during data collection. Sampling strategies should be chosen in such a way that they yield rich information and are consistent with the methodological approach used. Data saturation determines sample size and will be different for each study. The most commonly used data collection methods are participant observation, face-to-face in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Analyses in ethnographic, phenomenological, grounded theory, and content analysis studies yield different narrative findings: a detailed description of a culture, the essence of the lived experience, a theory, and a descriptive summary, respectively. The fourth and final article will focus on trustworthiness and publishing qualitative research.

Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 3: Sampling, data collection and analysis

PubMed Central

Moser, Albine; Korstjens, Irene

2018-01-01

Abstract In the course of our supervisory work over the years, we have noticed that qualitative research tends to evoke a lot of questions and worries, so-called frequently asked questions (FAQs). This series of four articles intends to provide novice researchers with practical guidance for conducting high-quality qualitative research in primary care. By ‘novice’ we mean Master’s students and junior researchers, as well as experienced quantitative researchers who are engaging in qualitative research for the first time. This series addresses their questions and provides researchers, readers, reviewers and editors with references to criteria and tools for judging the quality of qualitative research papers. The second article focused on context, research questions and designs, and referred to publications for further reading. This third article addresses FAQs about sampling, data collection and analysis. The data collection plan needs to be broadly defined and open at first, and become flexible during data collection. Sampling strategies should be chosen in such a way that they yield rich information and are consistent with the methodological approach used. Data saturation determines sample size and will be different for each study. The most commonly used data collection methods are participant observation, face-to-face in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Analyses in ethnographic, phenomenological, grounded theory, and content analysis studies yield different narrative findings: a detailed description of a culture, the essence of the lived experience, a theory, and a descriptive summary, respectively. The fourth and final article will focus on trustworthiness and publishing qualitative research. PMID:29199486

The heroines of their own stories: Insights from the use of life history drawings in research with a transnational migrant community

PubMed Central

Hirsch, Jennifer S.; Philbin, Morgan M.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we discuss how Life History Drawings can serve as a valuable method for global health research. The introduction discusses qualitative approaches to concepts such as reliability, validity and triangulation, and situates the use of participatory visual methods within the broader field of participatory research. The paper reports on an experience using life history drawings as part of extended ethnographic research in rural Mexico and among Mexican migrants living in Atlanta. The primary method for that parent project was comparative ethnographic research, which included life histories collected from 13 pairs of women over 15 months of participant observation. Early in the research, the drawings contributed to a major reorientation in the direction of the research project. The insights generated through analysis of the life history drawings exemplify how this participatory research technique can direct attention to social processes that feel salient to community members. In this case, they called attention to the enormity of social change in this community over one generation, reorienting the study from one focused on change causes by migration to one that focused on two trajectories of change: generational and migration-related. PMID:27109003

Exploring teams of learners becoming "WE" in the Intensive Care Unit--a focused ethnographic study.

PubMed

Conte, Helen; Scheja, Max; Hjelmqvist, Hans; Jirwe, Maria

2015-08-16

Research about collaboration within teams of learners in intensive care is sparse, as is research on how the learners in a group develop into a team. The aim of this study was to explore the collaboration in teams of learners during a rotation in an interprofessional education unit in intensive care from a sociocultural learning perspective. Focused Ethnographic methods were used to collect data following eight teams of learners in 2009 and 2010. Each team consisted of one resident, one specialist nurse student and their supervisors (n = 28). The material consisted of 100 hours of observations, interviews, and four hours of sound recordings. A qualitative analysis explored changing patterns of interplay through a constant comparative approach. The learners' collaboration progressed along a pattern of participation common to all eight groups with a chronological starting point and an end point. The progress consisted of three main steps where the learners' groups developed into teams during a week's training. The supervisors' guided the progress by gradually stepping back to provide latitude for critical reflection and action. Our main conclusion in training teams of learners how to collaborate in the intensive care is the crucial understanding of how to guide them to act like a team, feel like a team and having the authority to act as a team.

Spiraling between qualitative and quantitative data on women's health behaviors: a double helix model for mixed methods.

PubMed

Mendlinger, Sheryl; Cwikel, Julie

2008-02-01

A double helix spiral model is presented which demonstrates how to combine qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry in an interactive fashion over time. Using findings on women's health behaviors (e.g., menstruation, breast-feeding, coping strategies), we show how qualitative and quantitative methods highlight the theory of knowledge acquisition in women's health decisions. A rich data set of 48 semistructured, in-depth ethnographic interviews with mother-daughter dyads from six ethnic groups (Israeli, European, North African, Former Soviet Union [FSU], American/Canadian, and Ethiopian), plus seven focus groups, provided the qualitative sources for analysis. This data set formed the basis of research questions used in a quantitative telephone survey of 302 Israeli women from the ages of 25 to 42 from four ethnic groups. We employed multiple cycles of data analysis from both data sets to produce a more detailed and multidimensional picture of women's health behavior decisions through a spiraling process.

Writing and Retelling Multiple Ethnographic Tales of a Soup Kitchen for the Homeless.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Dana L.; Creswell, John W.; Olander, Lisa

An ethnographic study narrated three tales about a soup kitchen for the homeless and the near-homeless. To provide a cultural, ethnographic analysis, and share fieldwork experiences the study began with realist and confessional tales. These two tales emerged from the initial writing and presenting of the soup kitchen ethnography to qualitative…

The american dental dream.

PubMed

Hodges, Nathan

2015-01-01

The American Dental Dream-the cultural desire for straight, white teeth-is difficult, if not impossible, for poor and working-class people to achieve. Using ethnographic fiction, autoethnography, poetry, and qualitative interviewing, I brush away the taken-for-granted assumptions about teeth. I explore the personal, relational, and structural consequences of this cultural desire, and show how social class writes itself on our bodies. I write these culture-centered teeth tales to show how one might cope with their teeth.

The development of participatory health research among incarcerated women in a Canadian prison

PubMed Central

Murphy, K.; Hanson, D.; Hemingway, C.; Ramsden, V.; Buxton, J.; Granger-Brown, A.; Condello, L-L.; Buchanan, M.; Espinoza-Magana, N.; Edworthy, G.; Hislop, T. G.

2009-01-01

This paper describes the development of a unique prison participatory research project, in which incarcerated women formed a research team, the research activities and the lessons learned. The participatory action research project was conducted in the main short sentence minimum/medium security women's prison located in a Western Canadian province. An ethnographic multi-method approach was used for data collection and analysis. Quantitative data was collected by surveys and analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was collected from orientation package entries, audio recordings, and written archives of research team discussions, forums and debriefings, and presentations. These data and ethnographic observations were transcribed and analysed using iterative and interpretative qualitative methods and NVivo 7 software. Up to 15 women worked each day as prison research team members; a total of 190 women participated at some time in the project between November 2005 and August 2007. Incarcerated women peer researchers developed the research processes including opportunities for them to develop leadership and technical skills. Through these processes, including data collection and analysis, nine health goals emerged. Lessons learned from the research processes were confirmed by the common themes that emerged from thematic analysis of the research activity data. Incarceration provides a unique opportunity for engagement of women as expert partners alongside academic researchers and primary care workers in participatory research processes to improve their health. PMID:25759141

Islamic Education on Formation of Environmental Awareness in Pondok Pesantren Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Fua, Jumardin; Umi Nurlila, Ratna; Gunawan, Fahmi; Suardi Wekke, Ismail

2018-05-01

This study aimed at exploring Islamic education strategy in shaping environmental awareness in Islamic Boarding School Gontor Putra, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. This is a model for actualizing environmental education through environmental hygiene management based on the values of the Qur’an and the Hadisth. This research was qualitative descriptive study examining the Islamic community by using an ethnographic approach. The results showed that those educational strategies were (1) conducting participatory activities, such as cleaning Friday, arrangement of garden and surrounding environment, creation of green open space, and (2) building collective awareness about the importance of environmental management through daily activities. The strategy can ultimately create students who have a sense of eco-spirituality in interacting with nature.

An Ethnographic Study of Health Information Technology Use in Three Intensive Care Units.

PubMed

Leslie, Myles; Paradis, Elise; Gropper, Michael A; Kitto, Simon; Reeves, Scott; Pronovost, Peter

2017-08-01

To identify the impact of a full suite of health information technology (HIT) on the relationships that support safety and quality among intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians. A year-long comparative ethnographic study of three academic ICUs was carried out. A total of 446 hours of observational data was collected in the form of field notes. A subset of these observations-134 hours-was devoted to job-shadowing individual clinicians and conducting a time study of their HIT usage. Significant variation in HIT implementation rates and usage was noted. Average HIT use on the two "high-use" ICUs was 49 percent. On the "low-use" ICU, it was 10 percent. Clinicians on the high-use ICUs experienced "silo" effects with potential safety and quality implications. HIT work was associated with spatial, data, and social silos that separated ICU clinicians from one another and their patients. Situational awareness, communication, and patient satisfaction were negatively affected by this siloing. HIT has the potential to accentuate social and professional divisions as clinical communications shift from being in-person to electronically mediated. Socio-technically informed usability testing is recommended for those hospitals that have yet to implement HIT. For those hospitals already implementing HIT, we suggest rapid, locally driven qualitative assessments focused on developing solutions to identified gaps between HIT usage patterns and organizational quality goals. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Mental well-being of patients from ethnic minority groups during critical care: a qualitative ethnographic study.

PubMed

Van Keer, Rose Lima; Deschepper, Reginald; Huyghens, Luc; Bilsen, Johan

2017-09-27

To investigate the state of the mental well-being of patients from ethnic minority groups and possible related risk factors for the development of mental health problems among these patients during critical medical situations in hospital. Qualitative ethnographic design. Oneintensive care unit (ICU) of a multiethnic urban hospital in Belgium. 84 ICU staff members, 10 patients from ethnic-minority groups and their visiting family members. Patients had several human basic needs for which they could not sufficiently turn to anybody, neither to their healthcare professionals, nor to their relatives nor to other patients. These needs included the need for social contact, the need to increase comfort and alleviate pain, the need to express desperation and participate in end-of-life decision making. Three interrelated risk factors for the development of mental health problems among the patients included were identified: First, healthcare professionals' mainly biomedical care approach (eg, focus on curing the patient, limited psychosocial support), second, the ICU context (eg, time pressure, uncertainty, regulatory frameworks) and third, patients' different ethnocultural background (eg, religious and phenotypical differences). The mental state of patients from ethnic minority groups during critical care is characterised by extreme emotional loneliness. It is important that staff should identify and meet patients' unique basic needs in good time with regard to their mental well-being, taking into account important threats related to their own mainly biomedical approach to care, the ICU's structural context as well as the patients' different ethnocultural background. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Viewing Places: Students as Visual Ethnographers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Kimberly

2010-01-01

This article presents a micro-ethnographic study that took place during a summer research course for six undergraduate and four graduate students majoring in the disciplines of architecture, art education, geography, landscape architecture and an integrative arts program. The research sought to implement ethnographic, visual methods as a means to…

Integrating Quantitative and Ethnographic Methods to Describe the Classroom. Report No. 5083.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malitz, David; And Others

The debate between proponents of ethnographic and quantitative methodology in classroom observation is reviewed, and the respective strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches are discussed. These methodologies are directly compared in a study that conducted simultaneous ethnographic and quantitative observations on nine classrooms. It is…

Street and working children of Delhi, India, misusing toluene: an ethnographic exploration.

PubMed

Seth, Rajeev; Kotwal, Atul; Ganguly, K K

2005-01-01

Our qualitative study explored: the perceptions of street children indulging in whitener fluid misuse; the social, economic, and cultural determinants of use; and users' views regarding effective preventive and control strategies. Forty-five in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted between March and December 2003. A purposive sample of those working children who were using toluene was selected by Snowball sampling. The paper discusses the: determinants of initiation and continued use; drug user social networks; psycho emotional deprivation and frustrations of these children; socio-cultural aspects like work driven need; others' attitudinal response towards them and their work; parental support or the lack of it; and strategies for prevention of this misuse.

Jordanian women: perceptions and practices of first-time pregnancy.

PubMed

Safadi, Reema

2005-12-01

A woman's child-bearing encounter is an experience that reflects the cultural beliefs and practices of the society. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions and practices of urban, low socioeconomic, Jordanian women (aged 18-30 years) in relation to their pregnancy career. An opportunistic sample consisting of 67 Muslim first-time pregnant women who followed up antenatal care at two maternity-care centres in East Amman was selected. A qualitative approach, including ethnographic semistructured interview, participant observation data from the households and clinics and oblique interviewing in random conversations initiated by the primigravidae, was conducted over 18 months. Women gave elaborative accounts of their pregnancy and childbirth expectations in narrative, phenomenological forms. Qualitative data analysis was performed concurrently with data collection, revealing the essential themes of immediacy of pregnancy; familial support and changing networks, especially for the after-birth period; fear of pain and medical interventions, all emphasizing the traditional and religious perceptions and practices in a familial context.

What makes a house a home? An evaluation of a supported housing project for individuals with long-term psychiatric backgrounds.

PubMed

Boydell, K M; Everett, B

1992-01-01

Supported housing (as distinct from supportive housing) emphasizes the values of consumer choice; independence; participation; permanence; normalcy; and flexible, ongoing supports. As a model, it has only recently become popular in the literature and therefore little is known of its effectiveness in serving people with long-term psychiatric backgrounds. In 1989, Homeward Projects, a community mental health agency located in Metropolitan Toronto, established a supported housing project. Homeward included an evaluative component in its program from the outset. In order to give equal weight to the tenants' opinions, both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were employed. In the quantitative component, residential milieu, social support, and service delivery were examined. The qualitative component involved an ethnographic study which allowed the tenants to voice their experiences of living in such a setting. Results provided a rich understanding of the model. Overall, the tenants eventually came to describe their house as a home.

Beyond the blues: towards a cross-cultural phenomenology of depressed mood.

PubMed

Postert, Christian; Dannlowski, Udo; Müller, Jörg M; Konrad, Carsten

2012-01-01

There is a great cultural variety in the social phenomenology of depressed mood. The aim of this qualitative study was to compare English and Laotian Hmong semantic and pragmatic differences in depressed mood and to assess their relevance for cross-cultural psychiatric research and practice. The first author conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork from 2000 to 2002 among the Hmong in Laos. Methods included participant observation, interviews and focus group interviews in the Hmong language. The semantic and pragmatic context of Hmong depressed mood tu siab, literally translated as 'broken liver', is compared to that of 'sadness' in Western contexts. Hmong 'broken liver' and English 'sadness' are deeply shaped by culture-specific premises concerning notions of social interaction, morality, interiority, socialisation, and cosmology. Critical attention has to be paid when assessing depressed mood cross-culturally. A social phenomenology combining qualitative and quantitative methods should be developed to analyse important semantic and pragmatic differences of depressed mood across cultural contexts. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

What is so new about mixed methods?

PubMed

Pelto, Pertti J

2015-06-01

In this article, I dispute claims that mixed methods research emerged only recently in the social sciences. I argue that some anthropologists and sociologists (and others) have used mixed methods in fieldwork for at least 80 years, and there are studies from early in the 20th century that clearly fall within the definition of "mixed methods." I explore some of the history of the mixing of qualitative and quantitative data in earlier ethnographic works and show that in some sectors of social science research, the "emergence" and proliferation of mixed methods were particularly notable around the middle of the 20th century. Furthermore, concerning issues about "paradigms of research" in the social sciences, I identify some of the types of research in which the mixing of QUAL and QUAN approaches was more likely to occur. I suggest that some of the literature about research paradigms has involved a certain amount of "myth-making" in connection with descriptions of qualitative and quantitative research assumptions and styles. © The Author(s) 2015.

"The Only Thing I Wish I Could Change Is That They Treat Us Like People and Not Like Animals": Injury and Discrimination Among Latino Farmworkers.

PubMed

Snipes, Shedra A; Cooper, Sharon P; Shipp, Eva M

2017-01-01

This article describes how perceived discrimination shapes the way Latino farmworkers encounter injuries and seek out treatment. After 5 months of ethnographic fieldwork, 89 open-ended, semistructured interviews were analyzed. NVivo was used to code and qualitatively organize the interviews and field notes. Finally, codes, notes, and co-occurring dynamics were used to iteratively assess the data for major themes. The primary source of perceived discrimination was the "boss" or farm owner. Immigrant status was also a significant influence on how farmworkers perceived the discrimination. Specifically, the ability to speak English and length of stay in the United States were related to stronger perceptions of discrimination. Finally, farm owners compelled their Latino employees to work through their injuries without treatment. This ethnographic account brings attention to how discrimination and lack of worksite protections are implicated in farmworkers' injury experiences and suggests the need for policies that better safeguard vulnerable workers.

Latino men who have sex with men and HIV in the rural south-eastern USA: findings from ethnographic in-depth interviews.

PubMed

Rhodes, Scott D; Hergenrather, Kenneth C; Aronson, Robert E; Bloom, Fred R; Felizzola, Jesus; Wolfson, Mark; Vissman, Aaron T; Alonzo, Jorge; Boeving Allen, Alex; Montano, Jaime; McGuire, Jamie

2010-10-01

A community-based participatory research partnership explored HIV risk and potentially effective intervention characteristics to reduce exposure and transmission among immigrant Latino men who have sex with men living in the rural south-eastern USA. Twenty-one participants enrolled and completed a total of 62 ethnographic in-depth interviews. Mean age was 31 (range 18-48) years and English-language proficiency was limited; 18 participants were from Mexico. Four participants reported having sex with men and women during the past three months; two participants self-identified as male-to-female transgender. Qualitative themes that emerged included a lack of accurate information about HIV and prevention; the influence of social-political contexts to sexual risk; and barriers to healthcare services. We also identified eight characteristics of potentially effective interventions for HIV prevention. Our findings suggest that socio-political contexts must be additional targets of change to reduce and eliminate HIV health disparities experienced by immigrant Latino men who have sex with men.

Scenes of fathering: The automobile as a place of occupation.

PubMed

Bonsall, Aaron

2015-01-01

While occupations are increasingly analyzed within contexts, other than the home, the ordinary places that facilitate occupations have been overlooked. The aim of this article is to explore the automobile as a place of occupation using data from an ethnographic study of fathers of children with disabilities. Qualitative data obtained through observations and interviews with the fathers and their families were analyzed using a narrative approach. Properties that influence interactions include opportunities to communicate, the vehicle itself, and electronics. Driving children in the automobile fulfills fathering responsibilities and is a time for connecting. For the fathers in this study, the automobile represents a place for negotiating complex demands of fathering. This study demonstrates not only the importance of the automobile, but also the influence of the immediate space on the construction of occupations.

A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators to Minority Research Participation Among African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders

PubMed Central

Duran, Nelida; Norris, Keith

2014-01-01

To assess the experienced or perceived barriers and facilitators to health research participation for major US racial/ethnic minority populations, we conducted a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies from a search on PubMed and Web of Science from January 2000 to December 2011. With 44 articles included in the review, we found distinct and shared barriers and facilitators. Despite different expressions of mistrust, all groups represented in these studies were willing to participate for altruistic reasons embedded in cultural and community priorities. Greater comparative understanding of barriers and facilitators to racial/ethnic minorities’ research participation can improve population-specific recruitment and retention strategies and could better inform future large-scale prospective quantitative and in-depth ethnographic studies. PMID:24328648

Exploring the situational motivation of medical specialists: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Kusurkar, Rashmi A.; Croiset, Gerda; Peerdeman, Saskia M.

2018-01-01

Objectives The aim was to obtain insight into the factors in the work environment that motivate or demotivate a medical specialist during his/her working day. Methods A qualitative ethnographic design was used, and a constructivist approach was adopted with the Self-Determination theory of motivation as a framework. Six medical specialists from VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands, recruited through convenience, snowball, and purposive sampling, were shadowed for one day each. Data were transcribed and open-coded. Themes were finalized through discussion and consensus. Results Sixty hours of observation data identified motivating and demotivating factors categorized into four themes that are important for specialists’ motivation. Informational technology issues are demotivating factors. Working with colleagues can be both a motivating and demotivating factor, e.g., filling in for each other through feelings of relatedness was motivating. Being in control of one’s planning through feelings of autonomy was motivating. Furthermore, patient care and teaching, especially in combination, stimulated specialists’ motivation. Regarding the design of the study, we found that situational motivation is indeed observable. Conclusions The basic psychological needs autonomy, competence, and relatedness are important for specialists’ motivation. Investing in a more motivating, open, transparent, and basic-needs- supportive work environment for medical specialists is necessary. Keywords: Continuing professional development, motivation, medical specialists, self-determination theory, qualitative research. PMID:29485972

Exploring the situational motivation of medical specialists: a qualitative study.

PubMed

van der Burgt, Stéphanie M E; Kusurkar, Rashmi A; Croiset, Gerda; Peerdeman, Saskia M

2018-02-26

The aim was to obtain insight into the factors in the work environment that motivate or demotivate a medical specialist during his/her working day. A qualitative ethnographic design was used, and a constructivist approach was adopted with the Self-Determination theory of motivation as a framework. Six medical specialists from VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands, recruited through convenience, snowball, and purposive sampling, were shadowed for one day each. Data were transcribed and open-coded. Themes were finalized through discussion and consensus. Sixty hours of observation data identified motivating and demotivating factors categorized into four themes that are important for specialists' motivation. Informational technology issues are demotivating factors. Working with colleagues can be both a motivating and demotivating factor, e.g., filling in for each other through feelings of relatedness was motivating. Being in control of one's planning through feelings of autonomy was motivating. Furthermore, patient care and teaching, especially in combination, stimulated specialists' motivation. Regarding the design of the study, we found that situational motivation is indeed observable. The basic psychological needs autonomy, competence, and relatedness are important for specialists' motivation. Investing in a more motivating, open, transparent, and basic-needs- supportive work environment for medical specialists is necessary. Keywords: Continuing professional development, motivation, medical specialists, self-determination theory, qualitative research.

Consumption of psychoactive substances in educational institutions: an inquiry into the state of affairs in the schools of Córdoba.

PubMed

Lucchese, M S M; Burrone, M S; Enders, J E; Fernández, A R

2014-01-01

This study describes and analyses the consumption of psychoactive substances in educational institutions, the school environment conditions and its relation to the school standing of the students. In the first stage, a quantitative evaluation was performed, based on the records of the Second National Survey of Secondary School Students carried out in Córdoba in 2005; the second stage used a qualitative approach. A multistage probabilistic sample of 4593 students was used for the quantitative assessment. The analysis comprised summary measurements, multivariate and factorial correspondence analysis, in all cases with a significance level of p < 0.05. For the qualitative stage, an ethnographic approach was applied. The state schools were chosen using an intentional, cumulative and sequential sampling method. Ten in-depth interviews were carried out to gather qualitative data that was analyzed using the comparative constant method. Results evince that consumption is lower among morning-shift students and that grade repetition and behavior problems are associated to consumption of illegal drugs. Furthermore, it was detected that students in night-shift schools with low academic and disciplinary demand standards have a higher probability of consumption. It is clear that as academic standards decrease, consumption increases.

An Ethnographic Investigation of Attitude Development in Vocational Education: The Importance of Ethnographic Meaning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claus, John F.

An ethnographic, case-study complement to a statewide survey in New York State attempted to shed light on the interwoven personal, social, economic, and program factors underlying secondary vocational education students' reports of improved attitudes. The survey assessed whether the state's two-year, half-day, separate-facility vocational programs…

Medical education of attention: A qualitative study of learning to listen to sound.

PubMed

Harris, Anna; Flynn, Eleanor

2017-01-01

There has been little qualitative research examining how physical examination skills are learned, particularly the sensory and subjective aspects of learning. The authors set out to study how medical students are taught and learn the skills of listening to sound. As part of an ethnographic study in Melbourne, 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with students and teachers as a way to reflect explicitly on their learning and teaching. From these interviews, we found that learning the skills of listening to lung sounds was frequently difficult for students, with many experiencing awkwardness, uncertainty, pressure, and intimidation. However not everyone found this process difficult. Often those who had studied music reported finding it easier to be attentive to the frequency and rhythm of body sounds and find ways to describe them. By incorporating, distinctively in medical education, theoretical insights into "attentiveness" from anthropology and science and technology studies, the article suggests that musical education provides medical students with skills in sensory awareness. Training the senses is a critical aspect of diagnosis that needs to be better addressed in medical education. Practical approaches for improving students' education of attention are proposed.

A qualitative analysis of case managers' use of harm reduction in practice.

PubMed

Tiderington, Emmy; Stanhope, Victoria; Henwood, Benjamin F

2013-01-01

The harm reduction approach has become a viable framework within the field of addictions, yet there is limited understanding about how this approach is implemented in practice. For people who are homeless and have co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, the Housing First model has shown promising results in employing such an approach. This qualitative study utilizes ethnographic methods to explore case managers' use of harm reduction within Housing First with a specific focus on the consumer-provider relationship. Analysis of observational data and in-depth interviews with providers and consumers revealed how communication between the two regarding the consumer's substance use interacted with the consumer-provider relationship. From these findings emerged a heuristic model of harm reduction practice that highlighted the profound influence of relationship quality on the paths of communication regarding substance use. This study provides valuable insight into how harm reduction is implemented in clinical practice that ultimately has public health implications in terms of more effectively addressing high rates of addiction that contribute to homelessness and health disparities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethnographies of pain: culture, context and complexity

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This article briefly introduces and discusses the value of ethnographic research, particularly research hailing from the discipline of social and cultural anthropology. After an introduction to ethnography in general, key ethnographic studies of pain are described. These show that ethnography provides a set of techniques for data collection and analysis, as well as a way of thinking about pain as socially and culturally embedded. Modern ethnographic writing is far removed from the literature of the past that sometimes described stereotypes rather than process and complexity. Ethnography provides the chance to describe the complexity and nuance of culture, which serves to counter stereotypes. The article concludes with an example from pain research conducted in a clinical setting. Through the use of ethnographic techniques, the research study provided greater insight than other methods alone might have achieved. The article includes references for further reading should readers be interested in developing their engagement with ethnographic method and interpretation. PMID:26516554

An Ethnographic Approach to Education: What Are You Doing in This Village?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yanik, Betül

2017-01-01

This study describes the ethnographic approach used in educational research, as seen through the eyes of an ethnographer. This work is the product of research that investigates the transition of young children to pre-school, within the cultural processes of their everyday lives. The article describes the village setting and the processes in which…

The Dani of West Irian. An Ethnographic Companion to the Film "Dead Birds". Module 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heider, Karl G.

The purpose of this study guide is to provide students of anthropology with an ethnographic accompaniment to Robert Gardiner's film about the Dani tribesmen, "Dead Birds." The first section offers an ethnographic profile of Dani culture, describing its most important features. These include: 1) their material culture, covering matters…

Experiencing new forms of genetic choice: findings from an ethnographic study of preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

PubMed

Roberts, Celia; Franklin, Sarah

2004-12-01

Contemporary scientific and clinical knowledges and practices continue to make available new forms of genetic information, and to create new forms of reproductive choice. For example, couples at high risk of passing on a serious genetic condition to their offspring in Britain today have the opportunity to use Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to select embryos that are unaffected by serious genetic disease. This information assists these couples in making reproductive choices. This article presents an analysis of patients' experiences of making the decision to undertake PGD treatment and of making reproductive choices based on genetic information. We present qualitative interview data from an ethnographic study of PGD based in two British clinics which indicate how these new forms of genetic choice are experienced by patients. Our data suggest that PGD patients make decisions about treatment in a complex way, taking multiple variables into account, and maintaining ongoing assessments of the multiple costs of engaging with PGD. Patients are aware of broader implications of their decisions, at personal, familial, and societal levels, as well as clinical ones. Based on these findings we argue that the ethical and social aspects of PGD are often as innovative as the scientific and medical aspects of this technique, and that in this sense, science cannot be described as "racing ahead" of society.

Socio-technical issues and challenges in implementing safe patient handovers: insights from ethnographic case studies.

PubMed

Balka, Ellen; Tolar, Marianne; Coates, Shannon; Whitehouse, Sandra

2013-12-01

Ineffective handovers in patient care, including those where information loss occurs between care providers, have been identified as a risk to patient safety. Computerization of health information is often offered as a solution to improve the quality of care handovers and decrease adverse events related to patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to broaden our understanding of clinical handover as a patient safety issue, and to identify socio-technical issues which may come to bear on the success of computer based handover tools. Three in depth ethnographic case studies were undertaken. Field notes were transcribed and analyzed with the aid of qualitative data analysis software. Within case analysis was performed on each case, and subsequently, cross case analyses were performed. We identified five types of socio-technical issues which must be addressed if electronic handover tools are to succeed. The inter-dependencies of these issues are addressed in relation to arenas in which health care work takes place. We suggest that the contextual nature of information, ethical and medico-legal issues arising in relation to information handover, and issues related to data standards and system interoperability must be addressed if computerized health information systems are to achieve improvements in patient safety related to handovers in care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Meaning of Giving Birth: Voices of Hmong Women Living in Vietnam.

PubMed

Corbett, Cheryl A; Callister, Lynn Clark; Gettys, Jamie Peterson; Hickman, Jacob R

Increasing knowledge about the sociocultural context of birth is essential to promote culturally sensitive nursing care. This qualitative study provides an ethnographic view of the perspectives on birthing of Hmong mothers living in the highlands of Vietnam. Unique cultural beliefs exist in Hmong culture about the spiritual and physical world as well as ritual practices associated with childbearing. This includes variations of ancestor worship, reincarnation, and healing practices by shamans. Traditionally, Hmong families take an active role in childbirth with birth frequently occurring in the home. Situated within a large collaborative anthropology project, a convenience sample of 8 Hmong women, who had recently given birth, were interviewed regarding the perinatal experience. In addition, ethnic traditional birth attendants (midwives) and other village women contributed perspectives providing richly descriptive data. This ethnographic study was conducted during 6 weeks of immersed participant observation with primary data collection carried out through fieldwork. Data were analyzed to derive cultural themes from interviews and observations. Significant themes included (1) valuing motherhood, (2) laboring and giving birth silently, (3) giving birth within the comfort of home and family, (4) feeling capable of birthing well, (5) feeling anxiety to provide for another child, and (6) embracing cultural traditions. Listening to the voices of Hmong women enhances understanding of the meaning of childbirth. Gaining greater understanding of Hmong cultural beliefs and practices can ensure childbearing women receive respectful, safe, and quality care.

An ecological perspective on medical care: environmental, occupational, and public health impacts of medical supply and pharmaceutical chains.

PubMed

Vatovec, Christine; Senier, Laura; Bell, Michael

2013-09-01

Healthcare organizations are increasingly examining the impacts of their facilities and operations on the natural environment, their workers, and the broader community, but the ecological impacts of specific healthcare services provided within these institutions have not been assessed. This paper provides a qualitative assessment of healthcare practices that takes into account the life-cycle impacts of a variety of materials used in typical medical care. We conducted an ethnographic study of three medical inpatient units: a conventional cancer ward, palliative care unit, and a hospice center. Participant observations (73 participants) of healthcare and support staff including physicians, nurses, housekeepers, and administrators were made to inventory materials and document practices used in patient care. Semi-structured interviews provided insight into common practices. We identified three major domains that highlight the cumulative environmental, occupational health, and public health impacts of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals used at our research sites: (1) medical supply procurement; (2) generation, handling, and disposal of medical waste; and (3) pharmaceutical handling and disposal. Impacts discovered through ethnographic inquiry included occupational exposures to chemotherapy and infectious waste, and public health exposures to pharmaceutical waste. This study provides new insight into the environmental, occupational, and public health impacts resulting from medical practices. In many cases, the lack of clear guidance and regulations regarding environmental impacts contributed to elevated harms to the natural environment, workers, and the broader community.

Living with pulmonary hypertension: unique insights from an international ethnographic study

PubMed Central

Kingman, Martha; Hinzmann, Barbara; Sweet, Oliver; Vachiéry, Jean-Luc

2014-01-01

Objectives To better understand the patient's perspective of pulmonary hypertension (PH), including the impact of living with PH, disease management and treatment. Design This qualitative ethnographic study collected observational video footage, supplemented by field notes and patient diaries to assess the impact of PH on the patient's life. Setting Patients were observed and filmed in their home for up to 6 h, capturing the environment, interactions and activities of everyday life. Participants Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic PH who were receiving PAH-specific medication were recruited through healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patient associations in seven countries across four continents. Sampling was purposive and subgroup analysis was not intended. Results Overall, 39 patients with PH were enrolled. Many patients had a poor understanding of PH and found their ‘invisible’ disease difficult to explain to others. An important finding was the secrecy surrounding PH. Feelings of insecurity and isolation were regularly reported, and many patients admitted to hiding their symptoms. The marked improvement in symptoms after therapy initiation made assessment of disease progression more difficult as patients compared their quality of life (QoL) against pretreatment levels. Extensive planning and adherence to daily routines were required in patients’ everyday life. Conclusions Ethnography was used for the first time, in several countries, to evaluate the patient's perception of living with PH. This approach revealed key findings that would not typically be uncovered using other qualitative techniques, including the secrecy surrounding PH, the difficulties in describing the disease and the challenges in assessing disease progression. A more tailored dissemination of information from HCPs and development of a simple and understandable PH definition may be beneficial in alleviating the secrecy reported by patients. A greater appreciation of how patients perceive their disease and QoL has the potential to improve PH management. PMID:24838724

Living with pulmonary hypertension: unique insights from an international ethnographic study.

PubMed

Kingman, Martha; Hinzmann, Barbara; Sweet, Oliver; Vachiéry, Jean-Luc

2014-05-16

To better understand the patient's perspective of pulmonary hypertension (PH), including the impact of living with PH, disease management and treatment. This qualitative ethnographic study collected observational video footage, supplemented by field notes and patient diaries to assess the impact of PH on the patient's life. Patients were observed and filmed in their home for up to 6 h, capturing the environment, interactions and activities of everyday life. Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic PH who were receiving PAH-specific medication were recruited through healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patient associations in seven countries across four continents. Sampling was purposive and subgroup analysis was not intended. Overall, 39 patients with PH were enrolled. Many patients had a poor understanding of PH and found their 'invisible' disease difficult to explain to others. An important finding was the secrecy surrounding PH. Feelings of insecurity and isolation were regularly reported, and many patients admitted to hiding their symptoms. The marked improvement in symptoms after therapy initiation made assessment of disease progression more difficult as patients compared their quality of life (QoL) against pretreatment levels. Extensive planning and adherence to daily routines were required in patients' everyday life. Ethnography was used for the first time, in several countries, to evaluate the patient's perception of living with PH. This approach revealed key findings that would not typically be uncovered using other qualitative techniques, including the secrecy surrounding PH, the difficulties in describing the disease and the challenges in assessing disease progression. A more tailored dissemination of information from HCPs and development of a simple and understandable PH definition may be beneficial in alleviating the secrecy reported by patients. A greater appreciation of how patients perceive their disease and QoL has the potential to improve PH management. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

[Learning and supervision in Danish clerkships--a qualitative study].

PubMed

Wichmann-Hansen, Gitte; Mørcke, Anne Mette; Eika, Berit

2007-10-15

The medical profession and hospital practice have changed over the last decades without a concomitant change in Danish clerkships. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze learning and supervision in clerkships and to discuss how traditional clerkship learning matches a modern effective hospital environment. A qualitative field study based on 38 days of observations ( asymptotically equal to 135 hours) with 6 students in 8th Semester in 2 internal medical and 3 surgical wards at 2 teaching hospitals in Aarhus County during 2003. The 6 students were interviewed prior to and following clerkship. Data were coded using Ethnograph and analyzed qualitatively. The students typically participated in 6 learning activities: morning reports, ward rounds, out-patient clinics, on call, clerking, and operating theatres. A common feature for the first 3 activities was the students' observational role in contrast to their more active role in the latter 3 activities. Supervision was primarily indirect as the doctors worked and thereby served as tacit role models. When direct, the supervision was didactic and characterized by information transfer. A clerkship offers important learning opportunities for students. They are exposed to many patients and faced with various clinical problems. However, the benefit of students learning in authentic environments is not fully utilized, and the didactic supervision used by doctors hardly matches the learning conditions in a busy hospital. Consequently, we need to reassess the students' roles and doctors' supervisory methods.

The new paradigm of recovery from schizophrenia: cultural conundrums of improvement without cure.

PubMed

Jenkins, Janis H; Carpenter-Song, Elizabeth

2005-12-01

This article is a qualitative investigation of the subjective experience of recovery from the perspective of persons living with schizophrenia-related disorders. An NIMH-sponsored ethnographic study of community outpatient clinics was completed for 90 persons taking second-generation antipsychotic medications. Research diagnostic criteria and clinical ratings were obtained in tandem with an anthropologically developed Subjective Experience of Medication Interview (SEMI) that elicits narrative data on everyday life and activities, medication and treatment, management of symptoms, expectations concerning recovery, and stigma. Ethnographic observations from diverse settings (clinics, public transportation, restaurants, homes) were also obtained. The primary findings are that recovery was experienced in relation to low levels of symptoms, the need to take medications to avoid hospitalization or psychotic episodes, and personal agency to struggle against the effects of illness. The majority of participants articulated their sense of illness recovery and expectation that their lives would improve. Improvement and recovery is an incremental, yet definitively discernable subjective process. Several problems were identified as part of this process surrounding cultural conflicts that generate the experience of ambivalence analyzed here as the "paradox of recovery without cure," irreconcilable "catch-22" dilemmas involving sacrifice (e.g., one must be "fat" or be "crazy"), and substantial stigma despite improvement in illness and everyday life experience.

Scaling the Peaks Research Protocol: understanding the barriers and drivers to providing and using dementia-friendly community services in rural areas-a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Marshall, Fiona; Basiri, Anahid; Riley, Mark; Dening, Tom; Gladman, John; Griffiths, Amanda; Lewis, Sarah

2018-04-13

Scaling the Peaks is a cross-disciplinary research study that draws on medical ethnography, human geography and Geospatial Information Science (GIS) to address the issues surrounding the design and delivery of dementia-friendly services in rural communities. The research question seeks to understand the barriers and drivers to the development of relevant, robust, reliable and accessible services that make a difference among older rural families affected by dementia. This mixed methods study recruits both families affected by dementia who reside within the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, and their service providers. The study explores the expectations and experiences of rural dementia by adopting a three-part approach 1 : longitudinal ethnographic enquiry with up to 32 families affected by dementia (aged 70 years plus) who identify themselves as rural residents 2 ; ethnographic semistructured interviews and systematic observations of a range of statutory, third sector, private and local community initiatives that seek to support older people living with dementia 3 ; and geospatial visual mapping of the qualitative and quantitative data. The ethnographic data will be used to explore the ideas of belonging in a community, perceptions of place and identity to determine the factors that influence everyday decisions about living well with dementia and, for the providers, working in a rural community. The geospatial component of the study seeks to incorporate quantitative and qualitative data, such as types, locations and allocation of services to produce an interactive web-based map for local communities to determine the future design and delivery of services when considering dementia-friendly services. The study is approved by the Leeds and Humberside Health Research Authority 16/YH/0163. The study is also approved by other participating organisations as required by their own governance procedures. The study includes people with dementia and as such adheres to the ethical considerations when including people with dementia. A publicly available interactive visual map of the findings will be produced in relation to current services related to location and, by default, identify gaps in provision. Formal reports and dissemination activities will be undertaken in collaboration with the study advisory group members. The recruitment began in September 2016. The data analysis commenced June 2017, using 59 provider interviews and 27 family participants. Data collection will be completed June 2018. Please note that the term 'families affected by dementia' is the preferred term of usage by the family members of the Scaling the Peaks Study Advisory Group. The group wish to emphasise that they consider this term to be more representative of their lives than the term living with dementia. NIHR IRAS 188103; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Medical anthropology and the physician assistant profession.

PubMed

Henry, Lisa R

2015-01-01

Medical anthropology is a subfield of anthropology that investigates how culture influences people's ideas and behaviors regarding health and illness. Medical anthropology contributes to the understanding of how and why health systems operate the way they do, how different people understand and interact with these systems and cultural practices, and what assets people use and challenges they may encounter when constructing perceptions of their own health conditions. The goal of this article is to highlight the methodological tools and analytical insights that medical anthropology offers to the study of physician assistants (PAs). The article discusses the field of medical anthropology; the advantages of ethnographic and qualitative research; and how medical anthropology can explain how PAs fit into improved health delivery services by exploring three studies of PAs by medical anthropologists.

Using the Learners-as-Ethnographers Approach to Enhance Intercultural Learning among American College Students Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Minhui

2012-01-01

This study explored how the learners-as-ethnographers (LAE) approach facilitated intercultural learning among American students learning Chinese as a foreign language. Two research questions addressed the effectiveness of the LAE approach and students' learning experiences in a non-immersion context. I designed six ethnographic tasks for the…

[Shoes stitched, workers unstitched: a study on working and health conditions among women factory workers in the footwear industry in Franca, São Paulo State, Brazil].

PubMed

Prazeres, Taísa Junqueira; Navarro, Vera Lucia

2011-10-01

This study aimed to analyze associations between working conditions and health problems reported by women workers assigned to mechanical stitching in the footwear industry in Franca, São Paulo State, Brazil. The qualitative study's theory and methodology were based on historical and dialectical materialism and combined sociological and ethnographic research techniques. Data were collected with taped interviews, focusing on the workers' life and work stories, systematic observation of the work process, consultation of historical documents, and imagistic production. Analysis of the data revealed the effects of work in mechanical stitching on the health of women workers employed in the factory and at home, who experience precarious labor conditions involving workday intensification and extension, preset production targets, job insecurity, and unhealthy workplaces.

Development of a Model of Interprofessional Shared Clinical Decision Making in the ICU: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PubMed

DeKeyser Ganz, Freda; Engelberg, Ruth; Torres, Nicole; Curtis, Jared Randall

2016-04-01

To develop a model to describe ICU interprofessional shared clinical decision making and the factors associated with its implementation. Ethnographic (observations and interviews) and survey designs. Three ICUs (two in Israel and one in the United States). A convenience sample of nurses and physicians. None. Observations and interviews were analyzed using ethnographic and grounded theory methodologies. Questionnaires included a demographic information sheet and the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration. From observations and interviews, we developed a conceptual model of the process of shared clinical decision making that involves four stepped levels, proceeding from the lowest to the highest levels of collaboration: individual decision, information exchange, deliberation, and shared decision. This process is influenced by individual, dyadic, and system factors. Most decisions were made at the lower two levels. Levels of perceived collaboration were moderate with no statistically significant differences between physicians and nurses or between units. Both qualitative and quantitative data corroborated that physicians and nurses from all units were similarly and moderately satisfied with their level of collaboration and shared decision making. However, most ICU clinical decision making continues to take place independently, where there is some sharing of information but rarely are decisions made collectively. System factors, such as interdisciplinary rounds and unit culture, seem to have a strong impact on this process. This study provides a model for further study and improvement of interprofessional shared decision making.

Parental explanatory models of ADHD: gender and cultural variations.

PubMed

Bussing, Regina; Gary, Faye A; Mills, Terry L; Garvan, Cynthia Wilson

2003-10-01

This study describes parents' explanatory models of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and examines model variation by child characteristics. Children with ADHD (N = 182) were identified from a school district population of elementary school students. A reliable coding system was developed for parental responses obtained in ethnographic interviews in order to convert qualitative into numerical data for quantitative analysis. African-American parents were less likely to connect the school system to ADHD problem identification, expressed fewer worries about ADHD-related school problems, and voiced fewer preferences for school interventions than Caucasian parents, pointing to a potential disconnect with the school system. More African-American than Caucasian parents were unsure about potential causes of and treatments for ADHD, indicating a need for culturally appropriate parent education approaches.

Perceptions of symptoms of severe childhood malaria among Mijikenda and Luo residents of coastal Kenya.

PubMed

Mwenesi, H A; Harpham, T; Marsh, K; Snow, R W

1995-04-01

Effective community based malaria control programmes require an understanding of current perceptions of malaria as a disease and its severe manifestations. Quantitative and qualitative surveys of mothers on the Kenyan Coast suggest that fever is conceptualised in biomedical terms whereas the aetiology of severe malaria is perceived to be of more complex cultural origin. This is reflected in the treatments sought for convulsions. The results are discussed in the context of ethnographic factors. To be effective, future health information programmes must take cultural beliefs into account.

Qualitative research and its methods in epilepsy: Contributing to an understanding of patients' lived experiences of the disease.

PubMed

Rapport, Frances; Clement, Clare; Doel, Marcus A; Hutchings, Hayley A

2015-04-01

This review paper makes the case for the usefulness of qualitative research methods in the context of epilepsy research. It begins with an assessment of the current state of epilepsy literature and identifies gaps especially in the following: research in 'developing' countries and research around surgery for adults with epilepsy. It makes the case that disclosure of people's behaviors, actions, and reactions in different, often complex health-care situations can indicate how they bring meaning to their disease experiences and support needs. It shows the value of encouraging work that clarifies how patients manage their illness and how they understand changes in their health and well-being over the life course of their illness and how health-care professionals and other stakeholder groups care for those with epilepsy. The paper suggests a range of methods for addressing gaps in the literature and highlights a range of data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation and synthesis techniques that are appropriate in this context. It pays particular attention to the strengths of qualitative applications in mixed-methods research using an example from a recent ulcerative colitis drug trial that indicates how they can be integrated into study findings, add rich description, and enhance study outcomes. Ethnographic methodology is also presented, as a way of offering rare access to the 'lived experience' dimension, before the paper concludes with an assessment of the qualitative criteria of credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability for judging a study's 'trustworthiness'. The criteria evidence not only the trustworthiness of data and findings but also the ways in which a study has approached any challenges inherent in its research design. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

“The only thing I wish I could change is that they treat us like people and not like animals”: Injury and Discrimination among Latino Farmworkers

PubMed Central

Snipes, Shedra A.; Cooper, Sharon P.; Shipp, Eva M.

2017-01-01

Objective This paper describes how perceived discrimination shapes the way Latino farmworkers encounter injuries and seek out treatment. Methods After 5 months of ethnographic fieldwork, 89 open-ended, semi-structured interviews were analyzed. NVivo was used to code and qualitatively organize the interviews and field notes. Finally, codes, notes, and co-occurring dynamics were used to iteratively assess the data for major themes. Results The primary source of perceived discrimination was the “boss” or farm owner. Immigrant status was also a significant influence on how farmworkers perceived the discrimination. Specifically, the ability to speak English and length of stay in the United States were related to stronger perceptions of discrimination. Finally, farm owners compelled their Latino employees to work through their injuries without treatment. Conclusions This ethnographic account brings attention to how discrimination and lack of worksite protections are implicated in farmworkers' injury experiences, and suggests the need for policies that better safeguards vulnerable workers. PMID:27749157

Culture, risk factors and suicide in rural China: a psychological autopsy case control study.

PubMed

Zhang, J; Conwell, Y; Zhou, L; Jiang, C

2004-12-01

Previous research on sociocultural factors for Chinese suicide have been basically limited to single case studies or qualitative research with ethnographic methodology. The current study examines the major risk factors and some cultural uniqueness related to Chinese rural suicide using a quantitative design. This is a case control study with 66 completed suicides and 66 living controls obtained from psychological autopsy interviews in rural China. Both bivariate analyses and the multiple regression model have found that the Chinese rural suicide patterns are basically similar to those in most other cultures in the world: strong predictors of rural Chinese suicide are the psychopathological, psychological, and physical health variables, followed by social support and negative and stressful life events. Other significant correlates include lower education, poverty, religion, and family disputes. Culture has an important impact on suicide patterns in a society.

Culture, risk factors and suicide in rural China: a psychological autopsy case control study

PubMed Central

Zhang, J.; Conwell, Y.; Zhou, L.; Jiang, C.

2009-01-01

Objective Previous research on sociocultural factors for Chinese suicide have been basically limited to single case studies or qualitative research with ethnographic methodology. The current study examines the major risk factors and some cultural uniqueness related to Chinese rural suicide using a quantitative design. Method This is a case control study with 66 completed suicides and 66 living controls obtained from psychological autopsy interviews in rural China. Results Both bivariate analyses and the multiple regression model have found that the Chinese rural suicide patterns are basically similar to those in most other cultures in the world: strong predictors of rural Chinese suicide are the psychopathological, psychological, and physical health variables, followed by social support and negative and stressful life events. Other significant correlates include lower education, poverty, religion, and family disputes. Conclusion Culture has an important impact on suicide patterns in a society. PMID:15521827

Protocol for a qualitative study of knowledge translation in a participatory research project.

PubMed

Lillehagen, Ida; Vøllestad, Nina; Heggen, Kristin; Engebretsen, Eivind

2013-08-19

In this article, we present a methodological design for qualitative investigation of knowledge translation (KT) between participants in a participatory research project. In spite of a vast expansion of conceptual models and frameworks for conducting KT between research and practice, few models emphasise how KTs come about. Better understanding of the actions and activities involved in a KT process is important for promoting diffusion of knowledge and improving patient care. The purpose of this article is to describe a methodological design for investigating how KTs come about in participatory research. The article presents an ethnographic study which investigates meetings between participants in a participatory research project. The participants are researchers and primary healthcare clinicians. Data are collected through observation, interviews and document studies. The material is analysed using the analytical concepts of knowledge objects, knowledge forms and knowledge positions. These concepts represent an analytical framework enabling us to observe knowledge and how it is translated between participants. The main expected outcome of our study is to develop a typology of KT practices relevant to participatory research. The project has been evaluated and approved by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Informed consent was obtained for all participants. The findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and national and international conference presentations.

A qualitative meta-synthesis of emergency department staff experiences of violence and aggression.

PubMed

Ashton, Rebecca Angharad; Morris, Lucy; Smith, Ian

2018-01-08

Patient and visitor violence or aggression against healthcare workers in the Emergency Department (ED) is a significant issue worldwide. This review synthesises existing qualitative studies exploring the first-hand experiences of staff working in the ED to provide insight into preventing this issue. A meta-ethnographic approach was used to review papers. Four concepts were identified: 'The inevitability of violence and aggression'; 'Staff judgments about why they face violence and aggression'; 'Managing in isolation'; and 'Wounded heroes'. Staff resigned themselves to the inevitability of violence and aggression, doing this due to a perceived lack of support from the organisation. Staff made judgements about the reasons for violent incidents which impacted on how they coped and subsequently tolerated the aggressor. Staff often felt isolated when managing violence and aggression. Key recommendations included: Staff training in understanding violence and aggression and clinical supervision. Violence and aggression in the ED can often be an overwhelming yet inevitable experience for staff. A strong organisational commitment to reducing violence and aggression is imperative. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why don't segregated Roma do more for their health? An explanatory framework from an ethnographic study in Slovakia.

PubMed

Belak, Andrej; Madarasova Geckova, Andrea; van Dijk, Jitse P; Reijneveld, Sijmen A

2018-06-16

The health status of segregated Roma is poor. To understand why segregated Roma engage in health-endangering practices, we explored their nonadherence to clinical and public health recommendations. We examined one segregated Roma settlement of 260 inhabitants in Slovakia. To obtain qualitative data on local-level mechanisms supporting Roma nonadherence, we combined ethnography and systematic interviewing over 10 years. We then performed a qualitative content analysis based on sociological and public health theories. Our explanatory framework summarizes how the nonadherence of local Roma was supported by an interlocked system of seven mechanisms, controlled by and operating through both local Roma and non-Roma. These regard the Roma situation of poverty, segregation and substandard infrastructure; the Roma socialization into their situation; the Roma-perceived value of Roma alternative practices; the exclusionary non-Roma and self-exclusionary Roma ideologies; the discrimination, racism and dysfunctional support towards Roma by non-Roma; and drawbacks in adherence. Non-Roma ideologies, internalized by Roma into a racialized ethnic identity through socialization, and drawbacks in adherence might present powerful, yet neglected, mechanisms supporting segregated Roma nonadherence.

Informed consent, anticipatory regulation and ethnographic practice.

PubMed

Murphy, Elizabeth; Dingwall, Robert

2007-12-01

In this paper we examine the application of informed consent to ethnographic research in health care settings. We do not quarrel with either the principle of informed consent or its translation into the requirement that research should only be carried out with consenting participants. However, we do challenge the identification of informed consent with the particular set of bureaucratic practices of ethical review which currently operate in Canada, the US and elsewhere. We argue that these anticipatory regulatory regimes threaten the significant contribution of ethnographic research to the creation of more efficient, more effective, more equitable and more humane health care systems. Informed consent in ethnographic research is neither achievable nor demonstrable in the terms set by anticipatory regulatory regimes that take clinical research or biomedical experimentation as their paradigm cases. This is because of differences in the practices of ethnographic and biomedical research which we discuss. These include the extended periods of time ethnographers spend in the research setting, the emergent nature of ethnographic research focus and design, the nature and positioning of risk in ethnographic research, the power relationships between researchers and participants, and the public and semi-public nature of the settings normally studied. Anticipatory regulatory regimes are inimical to ethnographic research and risk undermining the contribution of systematic inquiry to understanding whether institutions do what they claim to do, fairly and civilly and with an appropriate mobilisation of resources. We do not suggest that we should simply ignore ethics or leave matters to the individual consciences of researchers. Rather, we need to develop and strengthen professional models of regulation which emphasise education, training and mutual accountability. We conclude the paper with a number of suggestions about how such professional models might be implemented.

Health care among street-involved women: the perpetuation of health inequity.

PubMed

Bungay, Vicky

2013-08-01

I present the findings from a study that explored the experiences and decision making of street-involved women navigating the health care system. Data were drawn from a larger qualitative study situated in a western Canadian inner-city neighborhood that examined the health-management strategies of street-involved women with a history of crack cocaine use. Data were collected over a 17-month period and included ethnographic methods of participant observation, group interviews (n = 57), and in-depth interviews (n = 10). Inductive thematic analysis derived two major themes: power and punishment, and organization and delivery of care. The themes illustrate how women's experiences and decision making were located within a nexus of power relations that operated across women's shared social location as downtown eastsiders. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to supporting women's efforts and improving health outcomes.

Informant-Ethnographers in the Study of Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feer, Michael

1975-01-01

In the context of an anthropology curriculum, public high school students performed as informant-ethnographers of their own social milieu. Using the film and fieldwork techniques, students demonstrated that with training and sensitivity such studies could be more than simple academic exercises. (AUTHOR/NQ)

Paradox of the institution: findings from a hospital labour ward ethnography.

PubMed

Newnham, Elizabeth C; McKellar, Lois V; Pincombe, Jan I

2017-01-03

Interest in the influence of culture on birth practices is on the rise, and with it comes a sense of urgency to implement practices that aid the normalisation and humanisation of birth. This groundswell is occurring despite a broader cultural milieu of escalating technology-use and medicalisation of birth across the globe. Against this background, rates of epidural analgesia use by women in labour are increasing, despite the risk of side effects. Socio-cultural norms and beliefs are likely to influence pain relief choices but there is currently scant research on this topic. This study was undertaken to gain insight into the personal, social, cultural and institutional influences on women in deciding whether or not to use epidural analgesia in labour. The study had an ethnographic approach within a theoretical framework of Critical Medical Anthropology (CMA), Foucauldian and feminist theory. Given the nature of ethnographic research, it was assumed that using the subject of epidural analgesia to gain insight into Western birth practices could illuminate broader cultural ideals and that the epidural itself may not remain the focus of the research. Findings from the study showed how institutional surveillance, symbolised by the Journey Board led to an institutional momentum that in its attempt to keep women safe actually introduced new areas of risk, a situation which we named the Paradox of the institution. These findings, showing a risk/safety paradox at the centre of institutionalised birth, add a qualitative dimension to the growing number of quantitative studies asserting that acute medical settings can be detrimental to normal birth practices and outcomes.

Attitudes and beliefs to the uptake and maintenance of physical activity among community-dwelling South Asians aged 60-70 years: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Horne, M; Skelton, D A; Speed, S; Todd, C

2012-05-01

To identify the attitudes and beliefs associated with the uptake and adherence of physical activity among community-dwelling South Asians aged 60-70 years. A qualitative research study using an ethnographic approach. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted to explore motivational factors associated with initiating and maintaining physical activity. Data analysis followed the framework approach. Health, maintaining independence and social support were important in terms of initiating physical activity. Social support, psychosocial elements of activity, health and integrating physical activity within everyday activities were important for adherence to physical activity. The need for gendered physical activity sessions was important to initiating exercise among Muslim South Asians aged 60-70 years. Promoting active lifestyles and building physical activity in and around day-to-day activities are important strategies in increasing activity levels. However, the needs for culturally appropriate facilities, peer mentors who could assist those with language barriers, specific tailored advice, advice on integrating physical activity in everyday life and general social support could promote uptake and subsequent adherence among this population group. Copyright © 2012 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An ethnographic study of communication challenges in maternity care for immigrant women in rural Alberta.

PubMed

Higginbottom, Gina M A; Safipour, Jalal; Yohani, Sophie; O'Brien, Beverley; Mumtaz, Zubia; Paton, Patricia

2015-02-01

many immigrant and ethno-cultural groups in Canada face substantial barriers to accessing health care including language barriers. The negative consequences of miscommunication in health care settings are well documented although there has been little research on communication barriers facing immigrant women seeking maternity care in Canada. This study identified the nature of communication difficulties in maternity services from the perspectives of immigrant women, health care providers and social service providers in a small city in southern Alberta, Canada. a focused ethnography was undertaken incorporating interviews with 31 participants recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. A community liaison and several gatekeepers within the community assisted with recruitment and interpretation where needed (n=1). All interviews were recorded and audio files were transcribed verbatim by a professional transcriptionist. The data was analysed drawing upon principles expounded by Roper and Shapira (2000) for the analysis of ethnographic data, because of (1) the relevance to ethnographic data, (2) the clarity and transparency of the approach, (3) the systematic approach to analysis, and (4) the compatibility of the approach with computer-assisted qualitative analysis software programs such as Atlas.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH, Germany). This process included (1) coding for descriptive labels, (2) sorting for patterns, (3) identification of outliers, (4) generation of themes, (5) generalising to generate constructs and theories, and (6) memoing including researcher reflections. four main themes were identified including verbal communication, unshared meaning, non-verbal communication to build relationships, and trauma, culture and open communication. Communication difficulties extended beyond matters of language competency to those encompassing non-verbal communication and its relation to shared meaning as well as the interplay of underlying pre-migration history and cultural factors which affect open communication, accessible health care and perhaps also maternal outcomes. this study provided insights regarding maternity health care communication. Communication challenges may be experienced by all parties, yet the onus remains for health care providers and for those within health care management and professional bodies to ensure that providers are equipped with the skills necessary to facilitate culturally appropriate care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Ethnographic Study of a Developing Virtual Organization in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Couch, Stephanie R.

2012-01-01

This ethnographic study answers calls for research into the ways that virtual organizations (or innovation-driven collaborative teams) form and develop, what supports and constraints their development, and the leadership models that support the organizations' work. The study examines how a virtual organization emerged from an intersegmental…

An Ethnographic Study of Elementary Teachers', Paraprofessionals', and Students' Language Exchanges during Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aaron-Stanton, Desiree

2014-01-01

This ethnographic study of language shows the importance of educators' appropriate use of linguistic, nonlinguistic, and paralinguistic communication techniques when working with elementary students within two classrooms who have behavioral and emotional disorders. This study focused on communication techniques used by teachers and…

Nature's Classroom: An Ethnographic Case Study of Environmental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Dorothea Jody

2012-01-01

This ethnographic case study examines the dynamic relationship between culture and environmental education within the context of a specific Florida-based public education program. The School District of Hillsborough County (SDHC) offers the program through a three-day field trip to the study site, Nature's Classroom, and accompanying classroom…

Nuancing stigma through ethnography: the case of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Suriname.

PubMed

Ramdas, Sahienshadebie; van der Geest, Sjaak; Schallig, Henk D F H

2016-02-01

Health-related stigma and its dramatic consequences for those stigmatized have long been a crucial concern for public health authorities globally. However, before concluding that stigma spoils the lives of people with a particular disease or disability and is a major obstacle to obtaining/providing adequate health care, it is necessary to first determine whether there is actual stigmatization related to the condition concerned. The purpose of this article is to nuance the concept of stigma through a detailed ethnographic exploration of the experiences and views of patients and others affected by the parasitic skin disease cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Suriname, South America. Qualitative data on the perceptions, treatment and illness experiences of CL in Suriname was collected in 2009 and 2010 among 205 CL patients at the Dermatology Service in the capital city Paramaribo, and among 321 people in different rural hinterland villages. The exploration reveals the complex and sometimes confusing statements of patients and observers of social reactions to the disease. The authors conclude that--in contrast to other societies--CL is not generally a stigmatized disease in Suriname (though this is not to deny that stigmatization may occur occasionally). Over the past decades, the concepts of stigma and stigmatization have been abundantly theorized. But when theory drifts away from ethnographic evidence, it may turn into imprecise popular speech. In this article, we warn against inflation of the term stigma and show, through an in-depth qualitative description of reactions to symptoms of CL in Suriname, why negative reactions may not necessarily entail stigma. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Training Drug Treatment Patients to Conduct Peer-Based HIV Outreach: An Ethnographic Perspective on Peers' Experiences

PubMed Central

Guarino, Honoria; Deren, Sherry; Mino, Milton; Kang, Sung-Yeon; Shedlin, Michele

2010-01-01

From 2005 to 2008, the Bienvenidos Project trained Puerto Rican patients of New York City and New Jersey methadone maintenance treatment programs to conduct peer-based community outreach to migrant Puerto Rican drug users to reduce migrants' HIV risk behaviors. Ethnographic research, including focus groups, individual interviews and observations, was conducted with a subset of the patients trained as peers (n=49; 67% male; mean age 40.3 years) to evaluate the self-perceived effects of the intervention. Results of the ethnographic component of this study are summarized. The role of ethnographic methods in implementing and evaluating this kind of intervention is also discussed. PMID:20141456

Views of parents regarding human papillomavirus vaccination: A systematic review and meta-ethnographic synthesis of qualitative literature.

PubMed

Marshall, S; Fleming, A; Moore, A C; Sahm, L J

2018-05-22

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. Three prophylactic HPV vaccines are available for the prevention of HPV-related disease. Despite clinical success, immunisation rates remain sub-optimal. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesise qualitative literature to achieve an understanding of the drivers and barriers to HPV vaccine acceptability and to determine targets for an intervention to improve vaccine uptake. The seven-step model of meta-ethnography described by Noblit and Hare was used. The quality of the studies was assessed using the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme) for qualitative research. The ENTREQ (Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research) statement was used to guide reporting of results. Thirty-three studies were included in the final analysis, compiling the opinions of 1280 parents/guardians from 14 countries. Five key concepts that reflected the principal findings of studies were determined: is prevention better than cure; the fear of the unknown; limited knowledge and understanding; complex vaccination decisions and; parental responsibility. Third-order interpretations were developed and linked using a 'line of argument' to develop a conceptual model. The majority of parents are motivated to protect their children and prevent disease. The link to sexual intercourse associated with the HPV vaccine often complicates the vaccination decision. Vaccine manufacturers, national healthcare systems and healthcare providers can reinforce the importance of HPV immunisation and reiterate the rationale behind vaccination recommendations, by providing unambiguous information in a timely manner, transparently addressing parental concerns regarding vaccine safety and efficacy, whilst taking account of cultural and religious sensitivities and varying health literacy levels. In recent years, there has been a reduction in HPV vaccine uptake worldwide. Currently, there is a paucity of published qualitative studies addressing these new vaccine concerns. Therefore, such research is required to guide intervention development, to improve HPV vaccine uptake. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Ethnographic Auditing: A New Approach to Evaluating Management in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fetterman, David

Ethnographic auditing is the application of ethnographic or anthropological concepts and methods to the appraisal of administrative controls over resources. Ethnographic auditing highlights the role of culture, subculture, values, rituals and physical environment in management in higher education. The ethnographic auditor measures the fiscal and…

The influence of family on immigrant South Asian women's health.

PubMed

Grewal, Sukhdev; Bottorff, Joan L; Hilton, B Ann

2005-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of family members on immigrant South Asian women's health and health-seeking behavior. This qualitative study was part of a larger study that examined the health-seeking practices of immigrant South Asian women living in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Using ethnographic methods, data were collected through face-to-face interviews with women who had lived in Canada for 10 months to 31 years. Analysis of translated and transcribed data revealed that women made decisions about their health in consultation with family members. Overall, family members were perceived to be supportive and provided direct and indirect assistance to women in ways that influenced their health. Expected roles and responsibilities often had detrimental influences on women's health. Health care for immigrant South Asian women needs to take into account women's relationships with family members and the influence of family on women's health.

The Spatial Scale and Spatial Configuration of Residential Settlement: Measuring Segregation in the Postbellum South

PubMed Central

Logan, John R.; Martinez, Matthew

2018-01-01

Studies of residential segregation typically focus on its degree without questioning its scale and configuration. We study Southern cities in 1880 to emphasize the salience of these spatial dimensions. Distance-based and sequence indices can reflect spatial patterns but with some limitations, while geocoded 100% population data make possible more informative measures. One improvement is flexibility in spatial scale, ranging from adjacent buildings to whole districts of the city. Another is the ability to map patterns in fine detail. In Southern cities we find qualitatively distinct configurations that include not only black “neighborhoods” as usually imagined, but also backyard housing, alley housing, and side streets that were predominantly black. These configurations represent the sort of symbolic boundaries recognized by urban ethnographers. By mapping residential configurations and interpreting them in light of historical accounts, our intention is to capture meanings that are too often missed by quantitative studies of segregation. PMID:29479108

Experiences at menopause of women in a non-English-speaking community: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Komesaroff, P A; Kafanelis, B; Black, C; Cable, V; Sudhir, K; Daly, J

2002-03-01

It is important that clinicians appreciate the link between physiological disturbances and cultural meanings. The community surrounding the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia includes a substantial number of women from a Greek-speaking background who attend the Menopause Clinic. To demonstrate how qualitative methodologies can assist with the development of clinical services by employing them to elucidate the role of cultural variables in the ways in which Greek women view menopause, aging, illness and medicine. This was a qualitative study employing in-depth interviews on five separate occasions over 2 years, analyzed with thematic and ethnographic content analysis. Subjects were 40 Greek-speaking women attending the Clinic, aged 45-60 years. There is an intricate association between experiences of the menopause and family relationships, problems raised by immigration and the cultural dislocation caused by it, beliefs and theories of the body, religion, and traditional approaches to healing and medicine. Many women had experienced unfavorable or unsatisfactory encounters with medicine in the past, reflecting lack of understanding of the women's experiences and failures of communication about clinical assessments and recommended treatments. Traditional therapies were often used without advising doctors. The study emphasizes the potential utility of qualitative research methods for improving clinical practice by elaborating the specific requirements of particular groups, and thereby allowing doctors to deliver services that are more acceptable to patients from both a cultural and an ethical point of view, and also more effective. The process established for the evolution of our clinic may serve as a model for other clinics seeking to direct themselves to the needs of particular social groups or communities.

Individualised medicine from the perspectives of patients using complementary therapies: a meta-ethnography approach.

PubMed

Franzel, Brigitte; Schwiegershausen, Martina; Heusser, Peter; Berger, Bettina

2013-06-03

Personalised (or individualised) medicine in the days of genetic research refers to molecular biologic specifications in individuals and not to a response to individual patient needs in the sense of person-centred medicine. Studies suggest that patients often wish for authentically person-centred care and personal physician-patient interactions, and that they therefore choose Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) as a possibility to complement standard care and ensure a patient-centred approach. Therefore, to build on the findings documented in these qualitative studies, we investigated the various concepts of individualised medicine inherent in patients' reasons for using CAM. We used the technique of meta-ethnography, following a three-stage approach: (1) A comprehensive systematic literature search of 67 electronic databases and appraisal of eligible qualitative studies related to patients' reasons for seeking CAM was carried out. Eligibility for inclusion was determined using defined criteria. (2) A meta-ethnographic study was conducted according to Noblit and Hare's method for translating key themes in patients' reasons for using CAM. (3) A line-of-argument approach was used to synthesize and interpret key concepts associated with patients' reasoning regarding individualized medicine. (1) Of a total of 9,578 citations screened, 38 studies were appraised with a quality assessment checklist and a total of 30 publications were included in the study. (2) Reasons for CAM use evolved following a reciprocal translation. (3) The line-of-argument interpretations of patients' concepts of individualised medicine that emerged based on the findings of our multidisciplinary research team were "personal growth", "holism", "alliance", "integrative care", "self-activation" and "wellbeing". The results of this meta-ethnographic study demonstrate that patients' notions of individualised medicine differ from the current idea of personalised genetic medicine. Our study shows that the "personal" patients' needs are not identified with a specific high-risk group or with a unique genetic profile in the sense of genome-based "personalised" or "individualised" medicine. Thus, the concept of individualised medicine should include the humanistic approach of individualisation as expressed in concepts such as "personal growth", "holistic" or "integrative care", doctor-patient "alliance", "self-activation" and "wellbeing" needs. This should also be considered in research projects and the allocation of healthcare resources.

Individualised medicine from the perspectives of patients using complementary therapies: a meta-ethnography approach

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Personalised (or individualised) medicine in the days of genetic research refers to molecular biologic specifications in individuals and not to a response to individual patient needs in the sense of person-centred medicine. Studies suggest that patients often wish for authentically person-centred care and personal physician-patient interactions, and that they therefore choose Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) as a possibility to complement standard care and ensure a patient-centred approach. Therefore, to build on the findings documented in these qualitative studies, we investigated the various concepts of individualised medicine inherent in patients’ reasons for using CAM. Methods We used the technique of meta-ethnography, following a three-stage approach: (1) A comprehensive systematic literature search of 67 electronic databases and appraisal of eligible qualitative studies related to patients’ reasons for seeking CAM was carried out. Eligibility for inclusion was determined using defined criteria. (2) A meta-ethnographic study was conducted according to Noblit and Hare's method for translating key themes in patients’ reasons for using CAM. (3) A line-of-argument approach was used to synthesize and interpret key concepts associated with patients’ reasoning regarding individualized medicine. Results (1) Of a total of 9,578 citations screened, 38 studies were appraised with a quality assessment checklist and a total of 30 publications were included in the study. (2) Reasons for CAM use evolved following a reciprocal translation. (3) The line-of-argument interpretations of patients’ concepts of individualised medicine that emerged based on the findings of our multidisciplinary research team were “personal growth”, “holism”, “alliance”, “integrative care”, “self-activation” and “wellbeing”. Conclusions The results of this meta-ethnographic study demonstrate that patients’ notions of individualised medicine differ from the current idea of personalised genetic medicine. Our study shows that the “personal” patients’ needs are not identified with a specific high-risk group or with a unique genetic profile in the sense of genome-based “personalised” or “individualised” medicine. Thus, the concept of individualised medicine should include the humanistic approach of individualisation as expressed in concepts such as “personal growth”, “holistic” or “integrative care”, doctor-patient “alliance”, “self-activation” and “wellbeing” needs. This should also be considered in research projects and the allocation of healthcare resources. PMID:23731970

Tryon Trekkers: An Evaluation of a STEM Based Afterschool Program for At-Risk Youth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckels Anderson, Chessa

This study contributed to the body of research that supports a holistic model of afterschool learning through the design of an afterschool intervention that benefits elementary school students of low socioeconomic status. This qualitative study evaluated a science focused afterschool curriculum that was designed using principles from Risk and Resiliency Theory, academic motivation theories, science core ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards, and used environmental education philosophy. The research question of this study is: how does an outdoor and STEM based afterschool program impact at-risk students' self-efficacy, belonging and engagement and ability to apply conceptual knowledge of environmental science topics? The study collected information about the participants' affective experiences during the intervention using structured and ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews. Observations and interviews were coded and analyzed to find patterns in participants' responses. Three participant profiles were developed using the structured observations and ethnographic observations to provide an in depth understanding of the participant experience. The study also assessed the participants' abilities to apply conceptual understanding of the program's science topics by integrating an application of conceptual knowledge task into the curriculum. This task in the form of a participant project was assessed using an adapted version of the Portland Metro STEM Partnership's Application of Conceptual Knowledge Rubric. Results in the study showed that participants demonstrated self-efficacy, a sense of belonging and engagement during the program. Over half of the participants in the study demonstrated a proficient understanding of program concepts. Overall, this holistic afterschool program demonstrated that specific instructional practices and a multi-modal science curriculum helped to support the social and emotional needs of at-risk children.

The school environment and student health: a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative research.

PubMed

Jamal, Farah; Fletcher, Adam; Harden, Angela; Wells, Helene; Thomas, James; Bonell, Chris

2013-09-03

There is increasing interest in promoting young people's health by modifying the school environment. However, existing research offers little guidance on how the school context enables or constrains students' health behaviours, or how students' backgrounds relate to these processes. For these reasons, this paper reports on a meta-ethnography of qualitative studies examining: through what processes does the school environment (social and physical) influence young people's health? Systematic review of qualitative studies. Sixteen databases were searched, eliciting 62,329 references which were screened, with included studies quality assessed, data extracted and synthesized using an adaptation of Noblit and Hare's meta-ethnographic approach. Nineteen qualitative studies were synthesised to explore processes through which school-level influences on young people's health might occur. Four over-arching meta-themes emerged across studies focused on a range of different health issues. First, aggressive behaviour and substance use are often a strong source of status and bonding at schools where students feel educationally marginalised or unsafe. Second, health-risk behaviours are concentrated in unsupervised 'hotspots' at the school. Third, positive relationships with teachers appear to be critical in promoting student wellbeing and limiting risk behaviour; however, certain aspects of schools' organisation and education policies constrain this, increasing the likelihood that students look for a sense of identity and social support via health-risk behaviours. Fourth, unhappiness at school can cause students to seek sources of 'escape', either by leaving school at lunchtime or for longer unauthorized spells or through substance use. These meta-themes resonate with Markham and Aveyard's theory of human functioning and school organisation, and we draw on these qualitative data to refine and extend this theory, in particular conceptualising more fully the role of young people's agency and student-led 'systems' in constituting school environments and generating health risks. Institutional features which may shape student health behaviours such as lack of safety, poor student-staff relationships and lack of student voice are amenable to interventions and should be the subject of future investigation. Future qualitative research should focus on health behaviours which are under-theorised in this context such as physical activity, sexual and mental health.

Making science education meaningful for American Indian students: The effect of science fair participation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welsh, Cynthia Ann

Creating opportunities for all learners has not been common practice in the United States, especially when the history of Native American educational practice is examined (Bull, 2006; Chenoweth, 1999; Starnes, 2006a). The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is an organization working to increase educational opportunity for American Indian students in science, engineering, and technology related fields (AISES, 2005). AISES provides pre-college support in science by promoting student science fair participation. The purpose of this qualitative research is to describe how American Indian student participation in science fairs and the relationship formed with their teacher affects academic achievement and the likelihood of continued education beyond high school. Two former American Indian students mentored by the principal investigator participated in this study. Four ethnographic research methods were incorporated: participant observation, ethnographic interviewing, search for artifacts, and auto-ethnographic researcher introspection (Eisenhart, 1988). After the interview transcripts, photos documenting past science fair participation, and researcher field notes were analyzed, patterns and themes emerged from the interviews that were supported in literature. American Indian academic success and life long learning are impacted by: (a) the effects of racism and oppression result in creating incredible obstacles to successful learning, (b) positive identity formation and the importance of family and community are essential in student learning, (c) the use of best practice in science education, including the use of curricular cultural integration for American Indian learners, supports student success, (d) the motivational need for student-directed educational opportunities (science fair/inquiry based research) is evident, (e) supportive teacher-student relationships in high school positively influences successful transitions into higher education. An overarching theme presented itself embedded within all themes: the importance of understanding the continued resiliency of the American Indian culture as it relates to success. Ultimately, for long-lasting change to occur, teachers and the community must focus on eliminating educational barriers, while supporting academic success, in order to initiate renewal and school wide change.

Voicing the strengths of Pacific Island parent caregivers of children who are medically fragile.

PubMed

Haley, Janice; Harrigan, Rosanne C

2004-07-01

Research is deficient regarding the strengths of Pacific Island parents of children who are medically fragile. The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to explore the strengths of Pacific Island parents of these children. Audiotaped interviews were analyzed using Text Smart and peer review. The core theme reflecting strength was positive energy. Participants believed that parents needed to have the ability to handle emotional feelings, solve problems, connect with their spirituality, find meaning, take care of themselves, use family support, use community support, use a positive attitude, be resourceful, meet a challenge, interact with nature, and focus on the present. Themes were affirmed by the literature with the exception of interacting with nature, which may be indigenous to the population's cultural orientation.

A systematic review of the impact of stroke on social support and social networks: associated factors and patterns of change.

PubMed

Northcott, Sarah; Moss, Becky; Harrison, Kirsty; Hilari, Katerina

2016-08-01

Identify what factors are associated with functional social support and social network post stroke; explore stroke survivors' perspectives on what changes occur and how they are perceived. The following electronic databases were systematically searched up to May 2015: Academic Search Complete; CINAHL Plus; E-journals; Health Policy Reference Centre; MEDLINE; PsycARTICLES; PsycINFO; and SocINDEX. PRISMA guidelines were followed in the conduct and reporting of this review. All included studies were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program tools. Meta-ethnographic techniques were used to integrate findings from the qualitative studies. Given the heterogeneous nature of the quantitative studies, data synthesis was narrative. Seventy research reports met the eligibility criteria: 22 qualitative and 48 quantitative reporting on 4,816 stroke survivors. The qualitative studies described a contraction of the social network, with non-kin contact being vulnerable. Although family were more robust network members, significant strain was observed within the family unit. In the quantitative studies, poor functional social support was associated with depression (13/14 studies), reduced quality of life (6/6 studies) and worse physical recovery (2/2 studies). Reduced social network was associated with depression (7/8 studies), severity of disability (2/2 studies) and aphasia (2/2 studies). Although most indicators of social network reduced post stroke (for example, contact with friends, 5/5 studies), the perception of feeling supported remained relatively stable (4/4 studies). Following a stroke non-kin contact is vulnerable, strain is observed within the family unit, and poor social support is associated with depressive symptoms. © The Author(s) 2015.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices on adolescent vaccination among parents, teachers and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review protocol

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Vaccines are the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions available to avert vaccine-preventable diseases and deaths. Despite progress in the field of adolescent health, many young people in Africa still get sick and die from vaccine-preventable diseases due to lack of vaccination. Parents, adolescents and teachers are key players with regard to implementation of adolescent vaccination policies. Therefore, understanding their knowledge, attitudes and practices towards adolescent vaccination may provide clues on what can be done to improve vaccine uptake among adolescents. The aim of this study is to conduct a qualitative and quantitative systematic review on knowledge, attitudes and practices on adolescent vaccination among parents, teachers and adolescents in Africa. Methods We will include both quantitative and qualitative primary studies. Eligible quantitative studies include both intervention and observational studies. Qualitative studies to be included are focus group discussions, direct observations, in-depth interviews and case ethnographic studies. We will search PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Web of Science, WHOLIS, Africa Wide and CINAHL for eligible studies with no time and language limits. We will also check reference lists of included studies for other eligible reports. Two authors will independently screen the search output, select studies and extract data, resolving discrepancies by consensus and discussion. We will analyse qualitative data using thematic analysis where applicable, and quantitative studies findings will be presented in a narrative synthesis form based on the outcomes. Discussion The findings from this systematic review will guide the identification of gaps on knowledge, attitudes and practices among the key role players on adolescent vaccination. We anticipate that our findings will guide the development of adolescent-focused vaccination policy in Africa, which is virtually non-existent at present. Systematic review registration This review is registered with PROSPERO, registration number CRD42014010395. PMID:25200458

An Ethnographic Case Study of the Administrative Organization, Processes, and Behavior in a Model Comprehensive High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimman, Richard N.

Using ethnographic case study methodology (involving open-ended interviews, participant observation, and document analysis) theories of administrative organization, processes, and behavior were tested during a three-week observation of a model comprehensive (experimental) high school. Although the study is limited in its general application, it…

A Sociocultural Perspective on Young Deaf Children's Fingerspelling: An Ethnographic Study in a Signing Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roos, Carin

2014-01-01

This study, which is part of a larger longitudinal ethnographic study of young deaf children, reports on deaf children's use of fingerspelling. The children observed were early signers using Swedish Sign Language (SSL) in communication with teachers and peers. This study centres on the functions of fingerspelling in the children's everyday…

An ethnographic study of barriers to cancer pain management and opioid availability in India.

PubMed

Lebaron, Virginia; Beck, Susan L; Maurer, Martha; Black, Fraser; Palat, Gayatri

2014-05-01

The world's global cancer burden disproportionally affects lower income countries, where 80% of patients present with late-stage disease and have limited access to palliative care and effective pain-relieving medications, such as morphine. Consequently, millions die each year with unrelieved pain. Objective. The objective of this study was to examine barriers to opioid availability and cancer pain management in India, with an emphasis on the experiences of nurses, who are often the front-line providers of palliative care. Methods. Fifty-nine participants were recruited using a purposive, snowball sampling strategy. Ethnographic data collection included in-depth, semistructured interviews (n = 54), 400+ hours of participant observation, and review of documents over 9 months at a government cancer hospital in South India. Systematic qualitative analysis led to identification of key barriers that are exemplified by representative quotes. Results. Morphine is more available at this study site than in most of India, but access is limited to patients seen by the palliative care service, and significant gaps in supply still occur. Systems to measure and improve pain outcomes are largely absent. Key barriers related to pain management include the role of nursing, opioid misperceptions, bureaucratic hurdles, and sociocultural/infrastructure challenges. Implications. Interventions must streamline process details of morphine procurement, work within the existing sociocultural infrastructure to ensure opioids reach patients most in need, target unexpected audiences for symptom management education, and account for role expectations of health care providers. Conclusion. Macro- and micro-level policy and practice changes are needed to improve opioid availability and cancer pain management in India.

An Ethnographic Study of Barriers to Cancer Pain Management and Opioid Availability in India

PubMed Central

Beck, Susan L.; Maurer, Martha; Black, Fraser; Palat, Gayatri

2014-01-01

Background. The world’s global cancer burden disproportionally affects lower income countries, where 80% of patients present with late-stage disease and have limited access to palliative care and effective pain-relieving medications, such as morphine. Consequently, millions die each year with unrelieved pain. Objective. The objective of this study was to examine barriers to opioid availability and cancer pain management in India, with an emphasis on the experiences of nurses, who are often the front-line providers of palliative care. Methods. Fifty-nine participants were recruited using a purposive, snowball sampling strategy. Ethnographic data collection included in-depth, semistructured interviews (n = 54), 400+ hours of participant observation, and review of documents over 9 months at a government cancer hospital in South India. Systematic qualitative analysis led to identification of key barriers that are exemplified by representative quotes. Results. Morphine is more available at this study site than in most of India, but access is limited to patients seen by the palliative care service, and significant gaps in supply still occur. Systems to measure and improve pain outcomes are largely absent. Key barriers related to pain management include the role of nursing, opioid misperceptions, bureaucratic hurdles, and sociocultural/infrastructure challenges. Implications. Interventions must streamline process details of morphine procurement, work within the existing sociocultural infrastructure to ensure opioids reach patients most in need, target unexpected audiences for symptom management education, and account for role expectations of health care providers. Conclusion. Macro- and micro-level policy and practice changes are needed to improve opioid availability and cancer pain management in India. PMID:24755460

The pros and cons of researching events ethnographically

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Events (remarkable, disruptive happenings) are important subjects of study for understanding processes of change. In this essay, I reflect upon the issue of what the ethnographic method has to offer for the analysis of this social phenomenon. To do so, I review three recently published ethnographic studies of events. My conclusion is that it is indeed a very useful method for understanding the feelings and ideas of people who are experiencing eventful situations, for instance around protests or natural disasters. However, using this method also brings about practical difficulties, such as the ‘luck’ that an event occurs at the ethnographic fieldwork site. Next, as transformative responses to events are not bound by the place or time of the happening, other methods (interviews, discourse analysis, surveys) that make it easier to follow them in varying locations and periods might be more suitable for getting a comprehensive picture of their meaning-making dynamics. PMID:29081715

WWOOF Ecopedagogy: Linking "Doing" to "Learning"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakagawa, Yoshifumi

2017-01-01

WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) is an increasingly popular form of ecotourism in Australia. An ethnographic study of 10 young adult international tourists was conducted at five rural Victorian WWOOF sites. The objective was to examine the participants' nature experience. As part of the ethnographic study, this article selectively reports…

Implementing a Critically Quasi-Ethnographic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murtagh, Lisa

2007-01-01

This paper provides an account of the methodological approach of a study designed to address some fundamental questions relating to formative assessment. The paper reports on the use of a critically quasi-ethnographic approach and describes the practicalities of adopting such an approach. The validity of the study is also considered, reflecting on…

Teacher Educators and the Production of Bricoleurs: An Ethnographic Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatton, Elizabeth

1997-01-01

Reports and discusses data from an ethnographic study of teacher educators in which a metaphor for teachers' work as bricolage generates a hypothesis about teacher education as a conservative determinant of teachers' work. Discusses the results and reasons why the theoretical adequacy of the bricolage explanation needs improvement. (DSK)

Instructional Leadership: Four Ethnographic Studies on Junior High School Principals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newberg, Norman A.; Glatthorn, Allan A.

This study explores the principal's role as instructional leader in four urban schools showing improvement in test scores. Data gathering procedures included ethnographic observations and interviews of principals; principals' logs of time use; interviews with teachers, school administrators, and students; and faculty surveys. The findings were…

Flauto: An Ethnographic Study of a Highly Successful Private Studio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montemayor, Mark

2008-01-01

This study examined the instructional settings, pedagogical techniques, interpersonal dynamics and personal characteristics of a teacher and her adolescent students in a renowned private flute studio. Using ethnographic techniques including observations and interviews, four main themes emerged that seem to contribute to the satisfaction of the…

Personal Library Curation: An Ethnographic Study of Scholars' Information Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antonijevic, Smiljana; Cahoy, Ellysa Stern

2014-01-01

This paper presents findings of a Mellon Foundation-funded study conducted at Penn State University in University Park during Fall 2012 that explored scholars' information practices across disciplines encompassing the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Drawing on results of the Web-based survey and ethnographic interviews, we present…

Development of Deaf Identity: An Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIlroy, Guy; Storbeck, Claudine

2011-01-01

This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narratives of their educational experiences in either mainstream or special schools for the Deaf. This exploration goes beyond a binary conceptualization of deaf identity that allows for only the medical and social models and proposes a bicultural…

The state of Danish nursing ethnographic research: flowering, nurtured or malnurtured - a critical review.

PubMed

Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Martinsen, Bente; Jørgensen, Lene Bastrup; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard

2018-03-01

Nursing was established in Denmark as a scholarly tradition in the late nineteen eighties, and ethnography was a preferred method. No critical review has yet summarised accomplishments and gaps and pointing at directions for the future methodological development and research herein. This review critically examines the current state of the use of ethnographic methodology in the body of knowledge from Danish nursing scholars. We performed a systematic literature search in relevant databases from 2003 to 2016. The studies included were critically appraised by all authors for methodological robustness using the ten-item instrument QARI from Joanna Briggs Institute. Two hundred and eight studies met our inclusion criteria and 45 papers were included; the critical appraisal gave evidence of studies with certain robustness, except for the first question concerning the congruity between the papers philosophical perspective and methodology and the seventh question concerning reflections about the influence of the researcher on the study and vice versa. In most studies (n = 34), study aims and arguments for selecting ethnographic research are presented. Additionally, method sections in many studies illustrated that ethnographical methodology is nurtured by references such as Hammersley and Atkinson or Spradley. Evidence exists that Danish nursing scholars' body of knowledge nurtures the ethnographic methodology mainly by the same few authors; however, whether this is an expression of a deliberate strategy or malnutrition in the form of lack of knowledge of other methodological options appears yet unanswered. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Video ethnography during and after caesarean sections: methodological challenges.

PubMed

Stevens, Jeni; Schmied, Virginia; Burns, Elaine; Dahlen, Hannah G

2017-07-01

To describe the challenges of, and steps taken to successfully collect video ethnographic data during and after caesarean sections. Video ethnographic research uses real-time video footage to study a cultural group or phenomenon in the natural environment. It allows researchers to discover previously undocumented practices, which in-turn provides insight into strengths and weaknesses in practice. This knowledge can be used to translate evidence-based interventions into practice. Video ethnographic design. A video ethnographic approach was used to observe the contact between mothers and babies immediately after elective caesarean sections in a tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia. Women, their support people and staff participated in the study. Data were collected via video footage and field notes in the operating theatre, recovery and the postnatal ward. Challenges faced whilst conducting video ethnographic research included attaining ethics approval, recruiting vast numbers of staff members and 'vulnerable' pregnant women, and endeavouring to be a 'fly on the wall' and a 'complete observer'. There were disadvantages being an 'insider' whilst conducting the research because occasionally staff members requested help with clinical tasks whilst collecting data; however, it was an advantage as it enabled ease of access to the environment and staff members that were to be recruited. Despite the challenges, video ethnographic research enabled the provision of unique data that could not be attained by any other means. Video ethnographic data are beneficial as it provides exceptionally rich data for in-depth analysis of interactions between the environment, equipment and people in the hospital environment. The analysis of this type of data can then be used to inform improvements for future care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Institutional Ethical Review and Ethnographic Research Involving Injection Drug Users: A Case Study

PubMed Central

Small, Will; Maher, Lisa; Kerr, Thomas

2014-01-01

Ethnographic research among people who inject drugs (PWID) involves complex ethical issues. While ethical review frameworks have been critiqued by social scientists, there is a lack of social science research examining institutional ethical review processes, particularly in relation to ethnographic work. This case study describes the institutional ethical review of an ethnographic research project using observational fieldwork and in-depth interviews to examine injection drug use. The review process and the salient concerns of the review committee are recounted, and the investigators’ responses to the committee’s concerns and requests are described to illustrate how key issues were resolved. The review committee expressed concerns regarding researcher safety when conducting fieldwork and the investigators were asked to liaise with the police regarding the proposed research. An ongoing dialogue with the institutional review committee regarding researcher safety and autonomy from police involvement, as well as formal consultation with a local drug user group and solicitation of opinions from external experts, helped to resolve these issues. This case study suggests that ethical review processes can be particularly challenging for ethnographic projects focused on illegal behaviours, and that while some challenges could be mediated by modifying existing ethical review procedures, there is a need for legislation that provides legal protection of research data and participant confidentiality. PMID:24581074

Alien To Me? Science in Search for Life Beyond Earth and Perceptions of Alien Life in Popular Culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capova, K. A.

2013-09-01

The paper will introduce an original piece of research that is devoted to the socio-cultural aspects of scientifi c search for life in outer space and it draws from doctoral research in anthropology of science. In this piece of research the extraterrestrial life hypothesis is conceptualized as a significant part of the general world-view, constantly shaped by the work and discoveries of science. The paper presents data from qualitative ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the UK as well as uses quantitative data from public from the USA, UK and other countries.

Social and cultural factors affecting uptake of interventions for malaria in pregnancy in Africa: a systematic review of the qualitative research.

PubMed

Pell, Christopher; Straus, Lianne; Andrew, Erin V W; Meñaca, Arantza; Pool, Robert

2011-01-01

Malaria during pregnancy (MiP) results in adverse birth outcomes and poor maternal health. MiP-related morbidity and mortality is most pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where recommended MiP interventions include intermittent preventive treatment, insecticide-treated bednets and appropriate case management. Besides their clinical efficacy, the effectiveness of these interventions depends on the attitudes and behaviours of pregnant women and the wider community, which are shaped by social and cultural factors. Although these factors have been studied largely using quantitative methods, qualitative research also offers important insights. This article provides a comprehensive overview of qualitative research on social and cultural factors relevant to uptake of MiP interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic search strategy was employed: literature searches were undertaken in several databases (OVID SP, IS Web of Knowledge, MiP Consortium library). MiP-related original research, on social/cultural factors relevant to MiP interventions, in Africa, with findings derived from qualitative methods was included. Non-English language articles were excluded. A meta-ethnographic approach was taken to analysing and synthesizing findings. Thirty-seven studies were identified. Fourteen concentrated on MiP. Others focused on malaria treatment and prevention, antenatal care (ANC), anaemia during pregnancy or reproductive loss. Themes identified included concepts of malaria and risk in pregnancy, attitudes towards interventions, structural factors affecting delivery and uptake, and perceptions of ANC. Although malaria risk is associated with pregnancy, women's vulnerability is often considered less disease-specific and MiP interpreted in locally defined categories. Furthermore, local discourses and health workers' ideas and comments influence concerns about MiP interventions. Understandings of ANC, health worker-client interactions, household decision-making, gender relations, cost and distance to health facilities affect pregnant women's access to MiP interventions and lack of healthcare infrastructure limits provision of interventions. Further qualitative research is however required: many studies were principally descriptive and an in-depth comparative approach is recommended.

Gender Writ Small: Gender Enactments and Gendered Narratives about Lab Organization and Knowledge Transmission in a Biomedical Engineering Research Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malone, Kareen Ror; Nersessian, Nancy J.; Newstetter, Wendy

This article presents qualitative data and offers some innovative theoretical approaches to frame the analysis of gender in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) settings. It begins with a theoretical discussion of a discursive approach to gender that captures how gender is lived "on the ground." The authors argue for a less individualistic approach to gender. Data for this research project was gathered from intensive interviews with lab members and ethnographic observations in a biomedical engineering lab. Data analysis relied on a mixed methodology involving qualitative approaches and dialogues with findings from other research traditions. Three themes are highlighted: lab dynamics in relation to issues of critical mass, the division of labor, and knowledge transmission. The data illustrate how gender is created in interactions and is inflected through forms of social organization.

A Typology of Ethnographic Scales for Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boellstorff, Tom

This chapter outlines a typology of genres of ethnographic research with regard to virtual worlds, informed by extensive research the author has completed both in Second Life and in Indonesia. It begins by identifying four confusions about virtual worlds: they are not games, they need not be graphical or even visual, they are not mass media, and they need not be defined in terms of escapist role-playing. A three-part typology of methods for ethnographic research in virtual worlds focuses on the relationship between research design and ethnographic scale. One class of methods for researching virtual worlds with regard to ethnographic scale explores interfaces between virtual worlds and the actual world, whereas a second examines interfaces between two or more virtual worlds. The third class involves studying a single virtual world in its own terms. Recognizing that all three approaches have merit for particular research purposes, ethnography of virtual worlds can be a vibrant field of research, contributing to central debates about human selfhood and sociality.

Using ethnography to monitor the community health implications of onshore unconventional oil and gas developments: examples from Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale.

PubMed

Perry, Simona L

2013-01-01

The ethnographer's toolbox has within it a variety of methods for describing and analyzing the everyday lives of human beings that can be useful to public health practitioners and policymakers. These methods can be employed to uncover information on some of the harder-to-monitor psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors that may lead to chronic stress in individuals and communities. In addition, because most ethnographic research studies involve deep and long-term engagement with local communities, the information collected by ethnographic researchers can be useful in tracking long- and short-term changes in overall well-being and health. Set within an environmental justice framework, this article uses examples from ongoing ethnographic fieldwork in the Marcellus Shale gas fields of Pennsylvania to describe and justify using an ethnographic approach to monitor the psychological and sociocultural determinants of community health as they relate to unconventional oil and gas development projects in the United States.

Getting safely through the shift: a qualitative exploration of the administrative supervisor role.

PubMed

Weaver, Susan H; Lindgren, Teri G

2017-09-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the administrative supervisors' perspective of their managerial practices and how these practices contribute to nurse and patient safety. The position of administrative supervisor, often referred to as house supervisor on the evening and night shifts, lacks empirical data supporting efficacy. A focused ethnographic study was conducted with 30 administrative supervisors from acute care hospitals, using in-depth interviews and job descriptions. Regardless of the size, location or type of hospital, the interviews revealed the administrative supervisor as the hospital shift leader, who achieves nurse and patient safety when performing his/her role responsibilities, despite being disconnected from the nursing management team. To support patient care quality and safety, the administrative supervisor competencies need to be developed along with role-specific education programmes. Additionally, there is a need to recognise these off-shift leaders as a key stakeholder on the nursing leadership team. Although nurse leaders in many countries may believe they understand this role, this is among the first empirical studies. These results can lead discussions on enhancing nurse and patient safety with additional support for administrative supervisors, along with the discussion of a best practice model for off-shift leadership. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Systematic review of qualitative literature on occupational health and safety legislation and regulatory enforcement planning and implementation.

PubMed

MacEachen, Ellen; Kosny, Agnieszka; Ståhl, Christian; O'Hagan, Fergal; Redgrift, Lisa; Sanford, Sarah; Carrasco, Christine; Tompa, Emile; Mahood, Quenby

2016-01-01

The ability of occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation and regulatory enforcement to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses is contingent on political, economic, and organizational conditions. This systematic review of qualitative research articles considers how OHS legislation and regulatory enforcement are planned and implemented. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed, English-language articles published between 1990 and 2013 yielded 11 947 articles. We identified 34 qualitative articles as relevant, 18 of which passed our quality assessment and proceeded to meta-ethnographic synthesis. The synthesis yielded four main themes: OHS regulation formation, regulation challenges, inspector organization, and worker representation in OHS. It illuminates how OHS legislation can be based on normative suppositions about worker and employer behavior and shaped by economic and political resources of parties. It also shows how implementation of OHS legislation is affected by "general duty" law, agency coordination, resourcing of inspectorates, and ability of workers to participate in the system. The review identifies methodological gaps and identifies promising areas for further research in "grey" zones of legislation implementation.

Using Unfamiliar People in Witness and Jury Pools: An Ethnographic Study of Interpersonal Skill Demands in Trial Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bintz, William P.

An ethnographic study explored the hypothesis that the use of "familiar" people in mock trial simulations contributes to student inattention to interpersonal skill demands necessary for proficient trial lawyering. Participants in the study included 12 third-year law school students, 1 adjunct instructor, 1 researcher, 12 local high…

Debating Race, Race-ing Debate: An Extended Ethnographic Case Study of Black Intellectual Insurgency in U.S. Intercollegiate Debate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, David Kent

2014-01-01

The following study is an extended ethnographic case study of a "black intellectual insurgency" within the predominantly white space of the U.S. intercollegiate policy debate activity. A growing number of black students are entering the debate activity and insisting that "whiteness" be confronted and interrogated and that…

Problematising Ethnography and Case Study: Reflections on Using Ethnographic Techniques and Researcher Positioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker-Jenkins, Marie

2018-01-01

This paper was prompted by the question, what do we mean by conducting "ethnography"? Is it in fact "case study" drawing on ethnographic techniques? My contention is that in many cases, researchers are not actually conducting ethnography as understood within a traditional sense but rather are engaging in case study, drawing on…

Toward an Understanding of EFL Teacher Culture: An Ethnographic Study in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Hong; Yuan, Rui; Wang, Qiang

2018-01-01

Informed by an ethnographic approach, this study aims to investigate the professional culture of a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in a high school in China. Relying on data gathered through extended field observation and in-depth interviews, this study seeks to uncover the distinctive characteristics of EFL teacher culture…

Faith based aviation: An ethnographic study of missionary flights international

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Joseph H.

The development of faith-based missionary aviation is a post-World War II phenomenon. The war effort demonstrated the value, utility, and global reach of aviation to remote, underdeveloped areas of the world. With the beginnings of a worldwide infrastructure for aviation, Christian aviators realized aviation could increase the range and effectiveness of their efforts to reach the world for Christ (Mellis, 2006). Although individual organizations provide statistical information and data about flight operations there is a lack of external evidence and relevant research literature confirming the scope and value of these faith based aviation organizations and operations. A qualitative, ethnographic study was conducted to document the activities of one faith-based aviation organization to gain an understanding of this little known aspect of civilian aviation. The study was conducted with Missionary Flights International (MFI) of Fort Pierce, FL which has been involved in faith-based, missionary aviation since its inception in 1964. As an aviation organization "MFI strives to offer affiliated missions the kind of efficient service and professionalism expected of an airline operation" (Missionary Flights International, 2013, p.1). MFI is a lifeline for missionaries to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, fulfilling their motto of "Standing in the Gap". MFI provides twice a week service to the island of Hispaniola and the Republic of Haiti. In this in-depth study insight and understanding was gained into the purpose of MFI, their daily routines and operations, and the challenges they face in maintaining their flight services to Haiti. This study provided documentation of the value and utility of such aviation efforts and of the individuals involved in this endeavor.

Non-technical skills of anaesthesia providers in Rwanda: an ethnography

PubMed Central

Livingston, Patricia; Zolpys, Lauren; Mukwesi, Christian; Twagirumugabe, Theogene; Whynot, Sara; MacLeod, Anna

2014-01-01

Introduction Patient safety depends on excellent practice of anaesthetists’ non-technical skills (ANTS). The ANTS framework has been validated in developed countries but there is no literature on the practice of ANTS in low-income countries. This study examines ANTS in this unexplored context. Methods This qualitative ethnographic study used observations of Rwandan anaesthesia providers and in-depth interviews with both North American and Rwandan anaesthesia providers to understand practice of ANTS in Rwanda. Results Communication is central to the practice of ANTS. Cultural factors in Rwanda, such as lack of assertiveness and discomfort taking leadership, and the strains of working in a resource-limited environment hinder the unfettered and focused communication needed for excellent anaesthesia practice. Conclusion Despite the challenges, anaesthesia providers are able to coordinate activities when good communication is actively encouraged. Future teaching interventions should address leadership and communication skills through encouraging both role definition and speaking up for patient safety. PMID:25722770

Experience of sleep in individuals with spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Fogelberg, Donald J.; Leland, Natalie E.; Blanchard, Jeanine; Rich, Timothy J.; Clark, Florence A.

2017-01-01

Background Poor sleep contributes to adverse health outcomes making it important to understand sleep in medically vulnerable populations, including those with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, little attention has been paid to circumstances specific to SCI that may negatively impact sleep, or to consequences of poor sleep in this population. Objectives To examine the experience of sleep among individuals with SCI. Methodology Secondary analysis using thematic coding of qualitative data from an ethnographic study of community-dwelling adults with SCI. Results Sleep-related data were found in transcripts for 90% of the sample. Participants described diminished sleep duration and irregular sleep patterns. Several factors contributing to poor sleep were identified, including SCI-related circumstances and sleep environment. Participants also discussed how poor sleep affected occupational engagement. Conclusion This study highlights the extent of sleep disturbance experienced after SCI, the subsequent impact on occupational performance, and provides direction for clinical practice. PMID:28196449

A Transcription and Translation Protocol for Sensitive Cross-Cultural Team Research.

PubMed

Clark, Lauren; Birkhead, Ana Sanchez; Fernandez, Cecilia; Egger, Marlene J

2017-10-01

Assurance of transcript accuracy and quality in interview-based qualitative research is foundational for data accuracy and study validity. Based on our experience in a cross-cultural ethnographic study of women's pelvic organ prolapse, we provide practical guidance to set up step-by-step interview transcription and translation protocols for team-based research on sensitive topics. Beginning with team decisions about level of detail in transcription, completeness, and accuracy, we operationalize the process of securing vendors to deliver the required quality of transcription and translation. We also share rubrics for assessing transcript quality and the team protocol for managing transcripts (assuring consistency of format, insertion of metadata, anonymization, and file labeling conventions) and procuring an acceptable initial translation of Spanish-language interviews. Accurate, complete, and systematically constructed transcripts in both source and target languages respond to the call for more transparency and reproducibility of scientific methods.

Discovering Self: Childbearing Adolescents' Maternal Identity.

PubMed

Macintosh, Janelle; Callister, Lynn Clark

2015-01-01

Adolescent pregnancy and motherhood have long been a topic of interest for many healthcare professionals. However, there are limited data on how childbearing adolescents incorporate motherhood identity into their sense of self. The purpose of this study was to explore how childbearing adolescents perceive motherhood as becoming part of their personal identity. This qualitative study using ethnographic data collection involved 7 months of observation, interaction, and interviews. Data were collected from nine expectant adolescents during in-depth interviews. All participants were patients at a teen mother and child clinic staffed by certified nurse midwives and a pediatrician. Narrative content analysis revealed the overall theme of discovering self, with three major themes: confirming the pregnancy, the loss of my body, and imagining my child in my arms. Adolescent mothers may need assistance to construct their maternal identity in order to strengthen self-perceptions and improve maternal/child outcomes.

[Moral problems in home health care--a descriptive ethical study].

PubMed

Lauxen, Oliver

2009-12-01

In Germany there is an increasing importance of home health care and nurses that are employed in the home care sector often have to face ethical issues. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore moral problems in the daily practice of these nurses. The method used was qualitative interviews with 20 nurses which have been analysed by content analysis. The results showed that the ethical principle of beneficence was the core concept for the participants. Moral problems arise when nurses cannot act in accordance to this principle or when they cannot determine the good in a situation. In particular, there were four types of moral problems: "beneficence vs. autonomy", "beneficence vs. justice", "beneficence vs. loyalty" and "The good cannot be determined". The way nurses in home health care address moral problems should be improved. Some participants lack ethical competencies. Furthermore, appropriate support services for dealing with moral problems have to be designed.

Language and Anxiety: An Ethnographic Study of International Postgraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Lorraine

2008-01-01

This paper presents some findings from an ethnographic study of international postgraduate students at a university in the South of England, which involved interviews and participant observation over a 12-month academic year. One of the major themes that emerged from this research was students' anxiety over their level of English language.…

Language and Cultural Immersion: An Ethnographic Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Jane

2004-01-01

This paper focuses on an evaluative, ethnographic case study of an English language and cultural immersion programme for Hong Kong university students. Prior to a five-week sojourn in England, the 15 English majors completed a survey and interview to determine their expectations and concerns. While in Oxford, they took courses in an English…

Competition between Public Supervision and Professional Management: An Ethnographic Study of School Governance Reforms in Switzerland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hangartner, Judith; Svaton, Carla Jana

2014-01-01

This article discusses insights from an ethnographic study of local governance practices in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, under changing policy conditions. Recent reforms introduced and strengthened the position of head teachers, enhanced the responsibility of the municipalities and introduced new quality management procedures in local…

Patterns of Indigenous Learning: An Ethnographic Study on How Kindergartners Learn in Mana, Fiji

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chih-Yih; Sparks, Paul

2015-01-01

Technology has greatly impacted educational systems around the world, even in the most geographically isolated places. This study utilizes an ethnographic approach to examine the patterns of learning in a kindergarten in Mana, Fiji. Data comprised of interviews, observations and examination of related artifacts. The results provide baseline data…

The Cultural Ecology of Scholar-Practitioner Leaders: An Ethnographic Study of Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenlink, Patrick M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this critical ethnographic study was to examine the nature and meaning of cultural ecology in relation to preparing scholar-practitioner leaders. The ethnography focused on how the discourses and practices within the disciplinary setting of leadership preparation shape the identity of social scholar-practitioner leaders. The…

Researching My Own Backyard: Inquiries into an Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zulfikar, Teuku

2014-01-01

Ethnography is a prominent research methodology in the recent times. It is popular not only in the field of Anthropology but also in many other social sciences. My doctorate thesis was also conducted through an ethnographic study examining the ways in which young Muslims of Indonesian background living in Australia construct their identity. In…

Latino Trajectories in Barcelona: A Longitudinal Ethnographic Study of Latin American Adolescents in Catalonia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corona, Víctor

2016-01-01

The ethnographic research presented in this paper consists of two parts developed chronologically. The first part is based on a study (Corona, V., Nussbaum, L., & Unamuno, V. [2012]. The emergence of new linguistic repertoires among Barcelona's youth of Latin American origin. "International Journal of Bilingual Education and…

Korean-American Student Perceptions on Literacy and Identity: Perspectives from an Ethnographic Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jeonghee; Godina, Heriberto; Ro, Yeon Sun

2014-01-01

This ethnographic case study examines perceptions of literacy and identity for a Korean-American student in a third-grade classroom. The researchers examine how teachers can misinterpret Asian identity in the classroom due to perceptions related to the "Model Minority Myth" and other stereotypical representations of Asian culture. By…

The Rhythms of Pedagogy: An Ethnographic Study of Parenting Education Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopwood, Nick

2014-01-01

Educational research is increasingly turning to conceptual frameworks from a range of disciplines in order to enrich understandings of education, pedagogy and learning. This paper draws on the work of Henri Lefebvre, specifically rhythmanalysis, to explore the nature and the function of pedagogy. The context is an ethnographic study of parenting…

Teaching as a Social Practice: The Experiences of Two Moroccan Adult Literacy Tutors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erguig, Reddard

2012-01-01

This article offers an ethnographic case study of two Adult Basic Education (ABE) teachers' characteristics and their literacy instruction. It draws on the New Literacy Studies tradition and used ethnographic tools (in-depth interviews, classroom observation and the think-aloud protocol) to explore the characteristics of two ABE teachers and…

Reforming the Japanese Preschool System: An Ethnographic Case Study of Policy Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayashi, Akiko; Tobin, Joseph

2017-01-01

This is an ethnographic study of how two Japanese kindergartens are implementing the "yohoichigenka" policy aimed at reforming the Japanese early childhood education system. The cases of these two kindergartens demonstrate what happens when a top-down mandate reaches the level of individual programs. The programs creatively find ways of…

Landscapes of Literacy: An Ethnographic Study of Functional Literacy in Marginal Philippine Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canieso-Doronila, Maria Luisa

Thirteen marginal Philippine communities were examined in an ethnographic study of the meaning of functional literacy and whether literacy invariably promotes development. The 13 sites were purposely selected to provide a broad sampling from three standpoints: (1) major livelihood and form of economic activity (farming, fishing, urban poor,…

Insights into freshman weight issues: An ethnographic study of how first-year college students make decisions about eating

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The transition from high school to college represents a life turning point during which health behavior trajectories may be influenced. This study addresses the internal and external factors that guide students’ eating decisions as they are understood and relayed by students through ethnographic, qu...

Patients "Embodied" and "As-a-Body" within Bedside Teaching Encounters: A Video Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elsey, Christopher; Challinor, Alexander; Monrouxe, Lynn V.

2017-01-01

Bedside teaching encounters (BTEs) involve doctor-patient-student interactions, providing opportunities for students to learn with, from and about patients. How the differing concerns of patient care and student education are balanced in situ remains largely unknown and undefined. This video ethnographic study explores "patient…

On Ethnographic Intent.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolcott, Harry F.

1985-01-01

Defines the essence of ethnographic research as describing and interpreting cultural behavior. Clarifies why some characteristics of ethnography are not defining characteristics, considers what is meant by "culture," examines the ethnographic process, and discusses the application of ethnographic methods in the educational setting. (PGD)

Ethnographic research into nursing in acute adult mental health units: a review.

PubMed

Cleary, Michelle; Hunt, Glenn E; Horsfall, Jan; Deacon, Maureen

2011-01-01

Acute inpatient mental health units are busy and sometimes chaotic settings, with high bed occupancy rates. These settings include acutely unwell patients, busy staff, and a milieu characterised by unpredictable interactions and events. This paper is a report of a literature review conducted to identify, analyse, and synthesize ethnographic research in adult acute inpatient mental health units. Several electronic databases were searched using relevant keywords to identify studies published from 1990-present. Additional searches were conducted using reference lists. Ethnographic studies published in English were included if they investigated acute inpatient care in adult settings. Papers were excluded if the unit under study was not exclusively for patients in the acute phase of their mental illness, or where the original study was not fully ethnographic. Ten research studies meeting our criteria were found (21 papers). Findings were grouped into the following overarching categories: (1) Micro-skills; (2) Collectivity; (3) Pragmatism; and (4) Reframing of nursing activities. The results of this ethnographic review reveal the complexity, patient-orientation, and productivity of some nursing interventions that may not have been observed or understood without the use of this research method. Additional quality research should focus on redefining clinical priorities and philosophies to ensure everyday care is aligned constructively with the expectations of stakeholders and is consistent with policy and the realities of the organisational setting. We have more to learn from each other with regard to the effective nursing care of inpatients who are acutely disturbed.

Traversing the many paths of workflow research: developing a conceptual framework of workflow terminology through a systematic literature review

PubMed Central

Novak, Laurie L; Johnson, Kevin B; Lorenzi, Nancy M

2010-01-01

The objective of this review was to describe methods used to study and model workflow. The authors included studies set in a variety of industries using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Of the 6221 matching abstracts, 127 articles were included in the final corpus. The authors collected data from each article on researcher perspective, study type, methods type, specific methods, approaches to evaluating quality of results, definition of workflow and dependent variables. Ethnographic observation and interviews were the most frequently used methods. Long study durations revealed the large time commitment required for descriptive workflow research. The most frequently discussed technique for evaluating quality of study results was triangulation. The definition of the term “workflow” and choice of methods for studying workflow varied widely across research areas and researcher perspectives. The authors developed a conceptual framework of workflow-related terminology for use in future research and present this model for use by other researchers. PMID:20442143

Fulfilling Multiple Missions Concurrently: An Ethnographic Study of a Campus Children's Center's Trials and Triumphs in Serving Six Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calica, Corinna Dy-Liacco

2017-01-01

The study is a comprehensive ethnographic investigation into how a campus children's center and laboratory school site can simultaneously serve six major population groups (i.e., parents, college students, teachers, faculty, administrators, and researchers) while maintaining program operations. The study carefully examines the converging and…

The Role of the Culture of Japanese Students in Acquisition of Academic English: An Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mertin, Patricia Anne

2014-01-01

This ethnographic study examines the role of Japanese students' culture and its effects on the rate of acquisition of academic English. It is based on observation of classes in Japanese schools, both in Japan and Germany, as well as in an international school, together with interviews, questionnaires, student responses and case studies over a…

Medical students' opportunities to participate and learn from activities at an internal medicine ward: an ethnographic study

PubMed Central

Hägg-Martinell, A; Hult, H; Henriksson, P; Kiessling, A

2017-01-01

Objectives To optimise medical students’ early clerkship is a complex task since it is conducted in a context primarily organised to take care of patients. Previous studies have explored medical students’ perceptions of facilitation and hindrance of learning. However, the opportunities for medical student to learn within the culture of acute medicine care have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore how medical students approach, interact and socialise in an acute internal medicine ward context, and how spaces for learning are created and used in such a culture. Design and setting Ethnographic observations were performed of medical students' interactions and learning during early clerkship at an acute internal medicine care ward. Field notes were taken, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Data analysis was guided by Wenger's theory of communities of practice. Participants 21 medical students and 30 supervisors participated. Results Two themes were identified: Nervousness and curiosity—students acted nervously and stressed, especially when they could not answer questions. Over time curiosity could evolve. Unexplored opportunities to support students in developing competence to judge and approach more complex patient-related problems were identified. Invited and involved—students were exposed to a huge variation of opportunities to learn, and to interact and to be involved. Short placements seemed to disrupt the learning process. If and how students became involved also depended on supervisors' activities and students' initiatives. Conclusions This study shed light on how an acute internal medicine ward culture can facilitate medical students' possibilities to participate and learn. Medical students' learning situations were characterised by questions and answers rather than challenging dialogues related to the complexity of presented patient cases. Further, students experienced continuous transfers between learning situations where the potential to be involved differed in a wide variety of ways. PMID:28196948

Using video in childbirth research.

PubMed

Harte, J Davis; Homer, Caroline Se; Sheehan, Athena; Leap, Nicky; Foureur, Maralyn

2017-03-01

Conducting video-research in birth settings raises challenges for ethics review boards to view birthing women and research-midwives as capable, autonomous decision-makers. This study aimed to gain an understanding of how the ethical approval process was experienced and to chronicle the perceived risks and benefits. The Birth Unit Design project was a 2012 Australian ethnographic study that used video recording to investigate the physical design features in the hospital birthing space that might influence both verbal and non-verbal communication and the experiences of childbearing women, midwives and supporters. Participants and research context: Six women, 11 midwives and 11 childbirth supporters were filmed during the women's labours in hospital birth units and interviewed 6 weeks later. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by an Australian Health Research Ethics Committee after a protracted process of negotiation. The ethics committee was influenced by a traditional view of research as based on scientific experiments resulting in a poor understanding of video-ethnographic research, a paradigmatic view of the politics and practicalities of modern childbirth processes, a desire to protect institutions from litigation, and what we perceived as a paternalistic approach towards protecting participants, one that was at odds with our aim to facilitate situations in which women could make flexible, autonomous decisions about how they might engage with the research process. The perceived need for protection was overly burdensome and against the wishes of the participants themselves; ultimately, this limited the capacity of the study to improve care for women and babies. Recommendations are offered for those involved in ethical approval processes for qualitative research in childbirth settings. The complexity of issues within childbirth settings, as in most modern healthcare settings, should be analysed using a variety of research approaches, beyond efficacy-style randomised controlled trials, to expand and improve practice-based results.

Psychosocial Problems of War-Affected Youth in Northern Uganda: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Speelman, Liesbeth; Onyango, Grace; Bolton, Paul

2008-01-01

Multiple studies have found that children from a variety of cultures who have been affected by war are at increased risk for a range of psychosocial problems. However, most studies are based on Western concepts and assume that these are locally applicable. Very few have investigated how psychosocial problems are perceived by the affected communities, families and the young people themselves. Understanding local perceptions is important to ensuring that local priorities are addressed, and addressed in ways that are likely to be acceptable and effective. In this study we used a previously developed rapid ethnographic assessment method to explore local perceptions of psychosocial problems among issues among children and adults from the Acholi ethnic group that have been displaced by the war in northern Uganda. We conducted 45 free list interviews (N= 30 10-17 year olds, N=15 adults) and 57 key informant interviews (N=32 10-17 year olds, N=25 adults) Our purpose was twofold: 1) To test whether this rapid ethnographic assessment approach previously used among adults would be suitable for use with children; and 2) To use this approach to understand the psychosocial problems affecting local children from their own viewpoint and that of their caretakers, in order to inform subsequent assessment and intervention efforts by organizations serving this population. The rapid assessment approach appears to have worked well for interviewing caretakers and children aged 10-17 years. Several locally defined syndromes were described: two tam/par/kumu (depression and dysthymia-like syndromes), ma lwor (an anxiety-like syndrome), and a category of conduct problems referred to as kwo maraco/gin lugero. The descriptions of these local syndromes are similar to Western mood, anxiety and conduct disorders, but contain some culture-specific elements. PMID:19541749

Interaction and common ground in dementia: Communication across linguistic and cultural diversity in a residential dementia care setting.

PubMed

Strandroos, Lisa; Antelius, Eleonor

2017-09-01

Previous research concerning bilingual people with a dementia disease has mainly focused on the importance of sharing a spoken language with caregivers. While acknowledging this, this article addresses the multidimensional character of communication and interaction. As using spoken language is made difficult as a consequence of the dementia disease, this multidimensionality becomes particularly important. The article is based on a qualitative analysis of ethnographic fieldwork at a dementia care facility. It presents ethnographic examples of different communicative forms, with particular focus on bilingual interactions. Interaction is understood as a collective and collaborative activity. The text finds that a shared spoken language is advantageous, but is not the only source of, nor a guarantee for, creating common ground and understanding. Communicative resources other than spoken language are for example body language, embodiment, artefacts and time. Furthermore, forms of communication are not static but develop, change and are created over time. Ability to communicate is thus not something that one has or has not, but is situationally and collaboratively created. To facilitate this, time and familiarity are central resources, and the results indicate the importance of continuity in interpersonal relations.

The social context of hormone and silicone injection among Puerto Rican transwomen.

PubMed

Padilla, Mark B; Rodríguez-Madera, Sheilla; Ramos Pibernus, Alixida G; Varas-Díaz, Nelson; Neilands, Torsten B

2018-05-01

This paper draws on ethnographic, qualitative and survey data with transwomen in Puerto Rico to examine the social and political-economic context of lay injection with hormone and silicone - common practices within this community. We describe specific practices of hormone and silicone injection, the actors that govern them, the market for the sale and distribution of syringes and the networks of lay specialists who provide services to a population that is neglected by and largely excluded from biomedical settings. Our data derive from ethnographic observations, sociodemographic questionnaires, surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted with a diverse group of transwomen in metropolitan San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our analysis focuses on four overlapping social domains or processes that shape the practices of lay silicone and hormone injection among transwomen: (1) the circulation of gender transitioning technologies within local and global markets; (2) the tension between the social exclusion of transwomen and their resilient sub-cultural responses; (3) the cultural meanings that shape transwomen's attitudes about injection; and (4) the perceived consequences of injection. We conclude with a discussion of the kinds of intervention and policy changes that would respond to the factors that most endanger transwomen's health.

Protocol for a qualitative study of knowledge translation in a participatory research project

PubMed Central

Lillehagen, Ida; Vøllestad, Nina; Heggen, Kristin; Engebretsen, Eivind

2013-01-01

Introduction In this article, we present a methodological design for qualitative investigation of knowledge translation (KT) between participants in a participatory research project. In spite of a vast expansion of conceptual models and frameworks for conducting KT between research and practice, few models emphasise how KTs come about. Better understanding of the actions and activities involved in a KT process is important for promoting diffusion of knowledge and improving patient care. The purpose of this article is to describe a methodological design for investigating how KTs come about in participatory research. Methods and analysis The article presents an ethnographic study which investigates meetings between participants in a participatory research project. The participants are researchers and primary healthcare clinicians. Data are collected through observation, interviews and document studies. The material is analysed using the analytical concepts of knowledge objects, knowledge forms and knowledge positions. These concepts represent an analytical framework enabling us to observe knowledge and how it is translated between participants. The main expected outcome of our study is to develop a typology of KT practices relevant to participatory research. Ethics and dissemination The project has been evaluated and approved by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Informed consent was obtained for all participants. The findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and national and international conference presentations. PMID:23959758

Institutional ethical review and ethnographic research involving injection drug users: a case study.

PubMed

Small, Will; Maher, Lisa; Kerr, Thomas

2014-03-01

Ethnographic research among people who inject drugs (PWID) involves complex ethical issues. While ethical review frameworks have been critiqued by social scientists, there is a lack of social science research examining institutional ethical review processes, particularly in relation to ethnographic work. This case study describes the institutional ethical review of an ethnographic research project using observational fieldwork and in-depth interviews to examine injection drug use. The review process and the salient concerns of the review committee are recounted, and the investigators' responses to the committee's concerns and requests are described to illustrate how key issues were resolved. The review committee expressed concerns regarding researcher safety when conducting fieldwork, and the investigators were asked to liaise with the police regarding the proposed research. An ongoing dialogue with the institutional review committee regarding researcher safety and autonomy from police involvement, as well as formal consultation with a local drug user group and solicitation of opinions from external experts, helped to resolve these issues. This case study suggests that ethical review processes can be particularly challenging for ethnographic projects focused on illegal behaviours, and that while some challenges could be mediated by modifying existing ethical review procedures, there is a need for legislation that provides legal protection of research data and participant confidentiality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The evil circle of poverty: a qualitative study of malaria and disability

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background This article discusses the link between disability and malaria in a poor rural setting. Global malaria programmes and rehabilitation programmes are organized as vertical and separate programmes, and as such they focus on prevention, cure and control, and disability respectively. When looking at specific conditions and illnesses, the impairing long-term consequences of illness incidents during childhood are not questioned. Methods The study design was ethnographic with an open, exploratory approach. Data were collected in Mangochi District in Malawi through qualitative in-depth interviews and participant observation. Results Despite a local-based health service system, people living in poor rural areas are confronted with a multitude of barriers when accessing malaria prevention and treatment. Lack of skilled health personnel and equipment add to the general burden of poverty: insufficient knowledge about health care, problems connected to accessing the health facility in time, insufficient initiatives to prevent malaria attacks, and a general lack of attention to the long term disabling effects of a malaria attack. Conclusions This study points to the importance of building malaria programmes, research and statistics that take into consideration the consequences of permanent impairment after a malaria attack, as well as the context of poverty in which they often occur. In order to do so, one needs to develop methods for detecting people whose disabilities are a direct result of not having received health services after a malaria episode. This may be done through qualitative approaches in local communities and should also be supplemented by suitable surveys in order to estimate the problem on a larger scale. PMID:22236358

The evil circle of poverty: a qualitative study of malaria and disability.

PubMed

Ingstad, Benedicte; Munthali, Alister C; Braathen, Stine H; Grut, Lisbet

2012-01-11

This article discusses the link between disability and malaria in a poor rural setting. Global malaria programmes and rehabilitation programmes are organized as vertical and separate programmes, and as such they focus on prevention, cure and control, and disability respectively. When looking at specific conditions and illnesses, the impairing long-term consequences of illness incidents during childhood are not questioned. The study design was ethnographic with an open, exploratory approach. Data were collected in Mangochi District in Malawi through qualitative in-depth interviews and participant observation. Despite a local-based health service system, people living in poor rural areas are confronted with a multitude of barriers when accessing malaria prevention and treatment. Lack of skilled health personnel and equipment add to the general burden of poverty: insufficient knowledge about health care, problems connected to accessing the health facility in time, insufficient initiatives to prevent malaria attacks, and a general lack of attention to the long term disabling effects of a malaria attack. This study points to the importance of building malaria programmes, research and statistics that take into consideration the consequences of permanent impairment after a malaria attack, as well as the context of poverty in which they often occur. In order to do so, one needs to develop methods for detecting people whose disabilities are a direct result of not having received health services after a malaria episode. This may be done through qualitative approaches in local communities and should also be supplemented by suitable surveys in order to estimate the problem on a larger scale. © 2012 Ingstad et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Performativity, Guilty Knowledge, and Ethnographic Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puttick, Steven

2017-01-01

This paper applies Dennis' [(2009). "What does it Mean when an Ethnographer Intervenes?" "Ethnography and Education" 4 (2): 131-146] modes of ethnographic intervention to a fieldwork experience of an observed secondary school lesson in England. Ethnographic research raises numerous ethical dilemmas, in the face of which…

Sample of Second Grade Classroom Protocols from Special Study A of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study for the California Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tikunoff, William J.; And Others

Second grade classroom protocols collected within this volume are examples of the protocols developed by the ethnographers associated with Special Study A: "An Ethnographic Study of the Forty Classrooms of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study." Twenty teachers at both the second and fifth grades were observed for one week by an…

Sample of Fifth Grade Classroom Protocols from Special Study A of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study for the California Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tikunoff, William J.; And Others

Classroom protocols collected within this volume are examples of the protocols from grade 5 developed by the ethnographers associated with Special Study A: "An Ethnographic Study of the Forty Classrooms of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study." Twenty teachers at both the second and fifth grades were observed for one week by an…

Collusion in doctor-patient communication about imminent death: an ethnographic study

PubMed Central

The, Anne-Mei; Hak, Tony; Koëter, Gerard; van der Wal, Gerrit

2000-01-01

Objective To discover and explore the factors that result in “false optimism about recovery” observed in patients with small cell lung cancer. Design A qualitative observational (ethnographic) study in two stages over four years. Setting Lung diseases ward and outpatient clinic in university hospital in the Netherlands. Participants 35 patients with small cell lung cancer. Results “False optimism about recovery” usually developed during the (first) course of chemotherapy and was most prevalent when the cancer could no longer be seen in the x ray pictures. This optimism tended to vanish when the tumour recurred, but it could develop again, though to a lesser extent, during further courses of chemotherapy. Patients gradually found out the facts about their poor prognosis, partly because of physical deterioration and partly through contact with fellow patients who were in a more advanced stage of the illness and were dying. “False optimism about recovery” was the result an association between doctors' activism and patients' adherence to the treatment calendar and to the “recovery plot,” which allowed them not to acknowledge explicitly what they should and could know. The doctor did and did not want to pronounce a “death sentence” and the patient did and did not want to hear it. Conclusion Solutions to the problem of collusion between doctor and patient require an active, patient oriented approach from the doctor. Perhaps solutions have to be found outside the doctor-patient relationship itself   —   for example, by involving “treatment brokers.” PMID:11099281

Exploring Middle-Eastern mothers' perceptions and experiences of breastfeeding in Canada: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Jessri, Mahsa; Farmer, Anna P; Olson, Karin

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore from the Middle-Eastern mothers' perspective, the experience of breastfeeding and their perceptions of attributes of the health care system, community and society on their feeding decisions after migration to Canada. New immigrant mothers from the Middle East (n = 22) were recruited from community agencies in Edmonton, Canada. Qualitative data were collected through four focus groups using an ethnographic approach to guide concurrent data collection and analysis. Survey data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics via pre-tested questionnaires. All mothers, but one who was medically exempt, breastfed their infants from birth and intended to continue for at least 2 years. Through constant comparison of data, five layers of influence emerged which described mothers' process of decision making: culture/society, community, health care system, family/friends and mother-infant dyad. Religious belief was an umbrella theme that was woven throughout all discussions and it was the strongest determining factor for choosing to breastfeed. However, cultural practices promoted pre-lacteal feeding and hence, jeopardising breastfeeding exclusivity. Although contradicted in Islamic tradition, most mothers practised fasting during breastfeeding because of misbeliefs about interpretations regarding these rules. Despite high rates of breastfeeding, there is a concern of lack of breastfeeding exclusivity among Middle-Eastern settlers in Canada. To promote successful breastfeeding in Muslim migrant communities, interventions must occur at different levels of influence and should consider religious beliefs to ensure cultural acceptability. Practitioners may support exclusive breastfeeding through cultural competency, and respectfully acknowledging Islamic beliefs and cultural practices. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Kikiskawâwasow - prenatal healthcare provider perceptions of effective care for First Nations women: an ethnographic community-based participatory research study.

PubMed

Oster, Richard T; Bruno, Grant; Montour, Margaret; Roasting, Matilda; Lightning, Rick; Rain, Patricia; Graham, Bonny; Mayan, Maria J; Toth, Ellen L; Bell, Rhonda C

2016-08-11

Pregnant Indigenous women suffer a disproportionate burden of risk and adverse outcomes relative to non-Indigenous women. Although there has been a call for improved prenatal care, examples are scarce. Therefore, we explored the characteristics of effective care with First Nations women from the perspective of prenatal healthcare providers (HCPs). We conducted an ethnographic community-based participatory research study in collaboration with a large Cree First Nations community in Alberta, Canada. We carried out semi-structured interviews with 12 prenatal healthcare providers (HCPs) that were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative content analysis. According to the participants, relationships and trust, cultural understanding, and context-specific care were key features of effective prenatal care and challenge the typical healthcare model. HCPs that are able to foster sincere, non-judgmental, and enjoyable interactions with patients may be more effective in treating pregnant First Nations women, and better able to express empathy and understanding. Ongoing HCP cultural understanding specific to the community served is crucial to trusting relationships, and arises from real experiences and learning from patients over and above relying only on formal cultural sensitivity training. Consequently, HCPs report being better able to adapt a more flexible, all-inclusive, and accessible approach that meets specific needs of patients. Aligned with the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, improving prenatal care for First Nations women needs to allow for genuine relationship building with patients, with enhanced and authentic cultural understanding by HCPs, and care approaches tailored to women's needs, culture, and context.

Profiling Adult Literacy Facilitators in Development Contexts: An Ethnographic Study in Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warkineh, Turuwark Zalalam; Rogers, Alan; Danki, Tolera Negassa

2018-01-01

Teachers/facilitators in adult literacy learning programmes are recognised as being vital to successful learning outcomes. But little is known about them as a group. This small-scale research project comprising ethnographic-style case studies of five adult literacy facilitators (ALFs) in Ethiopia seeks to throw some light on these teachers, their…

An Ethnographic-Case Study of Beliefs, Context Factors, and Practices of Teachers Integrating Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angers, Julie; Machtmes, Krisanna

2005-01-01

This ethnographic-case study explored the beliefs, context factors, and practices of three middle school exemplary teachers that led to a technology-enriched curriculum. Findings suggest that these middle school teachers believe technology is a tool that adds value to lessons and to students learning and motivation. Due to a personal interest in…

The Aesthetics of Everyday Literacies: Home Writing Practices in a British Asian Household

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pahl, Kate

2014-01-01

This article explores young people's home literacy practices drawing on an ethnographic study of writing in the home of a British Asian family living in northern England. The theoretical framework comes from the New Literacy Studies, and aesthetic and literary theory. It applies an ethnographic methodology together with an engaged approach to…

The Experiences of Portuguese-Speaking Families with Special-Needs Children as Related by the Mothers: An Ethnographic Interview Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tellier-Robinson, Dora

A study examined Portuguese-speaking parents' involvement in and feelings about their special-needs children's education. Ethnographic interviews were conducted, in either English or Portuguese, with nine Portuguese-speaking limited-English-proficient and bilingual parents (eight mothers and one father) of severely challenged children. The report…

Exploring the Role of TPACK and Teacher Self-Efficacy: An Ethnographic Case Study of Three iPad Language Arts Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saudelli, Mary Gene; Ciampa, Katia

2016-01-01

This ethnographic research study investigated three elementary teachers' perceived self-efficacy beliefs and their attitudes toward mobile technology-enhanced instruction. Using technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) as a guiding theory, the authors sought to determine whether and how the three knowledge components that form the…

Diluting Education? An Ethnographic Study of Change in an Australian Ministry of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Sarah

2011-01-01

This ethnographic study captures the processes that led to change in an Australian public education system. The changes were driven by strong neo-liberal discourses which resulted in a shift from a shared understanding about leading educational change in schools by knowledge transfer to managing educational change as a process, in other words,…

Implementation of Health Education, Based on Ethnographic Study, to Increase the Colostrum and Decrease Early Solid Food Feeding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiryo, Hananto; Hakimi, M.

2005-01-01

Traditionally, mothers provide banana to their neonates as well as discharge their colostrum prior to breastfeeding, increasing the risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Health education modules, based on ethnographic study, to discourage these detrimental practices were developed for use by community leaders. Two thousand six hundred and…

An Ethnographic Case Study of the Professional Development Model in a Successful Elementary School within a Suburban Southeast Texas School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrzelka, Valerie

2012-01-01

This ethnographic case study was designed to investigate a successful professional development model, perceived effective professional learning and process for determining professional development for teachers. With eighty years of research on professional development, limited research was available on the process for determining professional…

Technology, Accuracy and Scientific Thought in Field Camp: An Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feig, Anthony D.

2010-01-01

An ethnographic study was conducted on an undergraduate field course to observe and document lived experiences of students. This paper evaluates one of several emergent themes: that of technology dependence, and how it informs students' understanding of scientific reality. In the field, students tried to arm themselves with as high a degree of…

Ethical Challenges in Participant Observation: A Reflection on Ethnographic Fieldwork

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jun

2008-01-01

In this essay I reflect on the ethical challenges of ethnographic fieldwork I personally experienced in a female gambling study. By assuming a covert research role, I was able to observe natural occurrences of female gambling activities but unable to make peace with disturbing feelings of my research concealment. By making my study overt, I was…

Attribution of the Kazakh Traditional Dress in the Collections of the Russian Ethnographic Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunanbayeva, Sholpan B.; Ibrayeva, Akmaral G.; Abzhanov, Hangeldy M.; Sadykov, Tlegen S.; Seitkazina, Kuralay O.

2016-01-01

The paper analyzes the collections of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (MAE RAS) and the Russian Ethnographic Museum (REM) (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation). Their study is of great importance both in the scientific-theoretical and practical aspects. In theory, their study is of particular interest, since at the turn…

Translanguaging Practices at a Bilingual University: A Case Study of a Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazak, Catherine M.; Herbas-Donoso, Claudia

2015-01-01

The objective of this ethnographic case study is to describe in detail one professor's translanguaging practices in an undergraduate science course at an officially bilingual university. The data-set is comprised of ethnographic field notes of 11 observed classes, audio recordings of those classes, an interview with the professor, and artifacts…

De Facto Language Education Policy through Teachers' Attitudes and Practices: A Critical Ethnographic Study in Three Jamaican Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nero, Shondel J.

2014-01-01

Using Jamaica, a former British colony where Jamaican Creole (JC) is the mass vernacular but Standard Jamaican English is the official language, as an illustrative case, this critical ethnographic study in three Jamaican schools examines the theoretical and practical challenges of language education policy (LEP) development and implementation in…

Ethnographic research in immigrant-specific drug abuse recovery houses.

PubMed

Pagano, Anna; Lee, Juliet P; García, Victor; Recarte, Carlos

2018-01-01

Access to study populations is a major concern for drug use and treatment researchers. Spaces related to drug use and treatment have varying levels of researcher accessibility based on several issues, including legality, public versus private settings, and insider/outsider status. Ethnographic research methods are indispensable for gaining and maintaining access to hidden or "hard-to-reach" populations. Here, we discuss our long-term ethnographic research on drug abuse recovery houses created by and for Latino migrants and immigrants in Northern California. We take our field work experiences as a case study to examine the problem of researcher access and how ethnographic strategies can be successfully applied to address it, focusing especially on issues of entrée, building rapport, and navigating field-specific challenges related to legality, public/private settings, and insider/outsider status. We conclude that continued funding support for ethnography is essential for promoting health disparities research focused on diverse populations in recovery from substance use disorders.

INMATE SOCIETY IN THE ERA OF MASS INCARCERATION*

PubMed Central

Kreager, Derek A.; Kruttschnitt, Candace

2017-01-01

Inmate social organization was once a central area within criminology that stalled just as incarceration rates dramatically climbed. In this review, we return to seminal works on this topic before summarizing the changes that mass incarceration wrought in correctional contexts and the potential impacts of these changes for inmate society. We then review the few recent studies that document contemporary inmate social life and call for increased researcher-practitioner partnerships that embed criminologists within carceral settings. We suggest that network approaches are particularly useful for building on past qualitative and ethnographic insights to provide replicable results that are also easily conveyed to correctional authorities. As the era of mass incarceration peaks, we argue that the time is ripe for renewed interest in inmate society and its connections to prison stability, rehabilitation, and community reintegration. PMID:29542738

Nursing care of patients during the dying process: a painful professional and human function.

PubMed

Lopera Betancur, Martha Adiela

2015-01-01

This work sought to describe the care functions of nurses with patients during the dying process. This was a qualitative study with ethnographic approach stemming from the analysis of the culture of nurses; it was conducted in the city of Medellín, Colombia. Theoretical saturation was obtained with 23 interviews. Nurses feel the duty to care for patients throughout the vital cycle through functions defined as: serving, helping, accompanying, offering support, advocating, educating, and representing, which they identify as indispensable. They also perceive as their own the social responsibility for some issues related to death and due to this they get involved at the personal level, appropriate care and are affected as persons. Patient care during dying processes transcends the limits of the nurse' professional functions to become a human obligation.

Are sports overemphasized in the socialization process of African American males? A qualitative analysis of former collegiate athletes' perception of sport socialization .

PubMed

Beamon, Krystal K

2010-01-01

Scholars have noted that an elevated level of sports socialization in the family, neighborhood, and media exists within the African American community, creating an overrepresentation of African American males in certain sports. As a result, African American males may face consequences that are distinctly different from the consequences of those who are not socialized as intensively toward athletics, such as lower levels of academic achievement, higher expectations for professional sports careers as a means to upward mobility, and lower levels of career maturity. This study examines the sport socialization of African American male former collegiate athletes through in-depth ethnographic interviews. The results show that the respondents' perceptions were that their socializing agents and socializing environment emphasized athletics above other roles, other talents, and the development of other skills.

The insight and challenge of reflexive practice in an ethnographic study of black traumatically injured patients in Philadelphia.

PubMed

Jacoby, Sara F

2017-07-01

The integrity of critical ethnography requires engagement in reflexive practice at all phases of the research process. In this discussion paper, I explore the insights and challenges of reflexive practice in an ethnographic study of the recovery experiences of black trauma patients in a Philadelphia hospital. Observation and interviews were conducted with twelve patients who were admitted to trauma-designated units of the hospital over the course of a year. During fieldwork, I learned the ways that my background as a professional nurse structured my way of being in clinical space and facilitated a particular interpretation of clinical culture. In analysis, reflection on subjectivities through which I designed this ethnographic research allowed me to see beyond my preconceived and theoretically informed perspective to permit unexpected features of the field to emerge. Reflexive practice also guided my reconciliation of key practical and epistemological differences between clinical ethnographic research and the anthropologic tradition in which it is rooted. I conclude that with careful reflection to the subjectivities that influence the research process, interdisciplinary clinically relevant applied interpretations of critical ethnographic work can be used to generate detailed knowledge across contexts in clinical care, nursing practice, and patient experiences. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ethnographic research with adolescent students: situated fieldwork ethics and ethical principles governing human research.

PubMed

Hemmings, Annette

2009-12-01

This paper explores ethical dilemmas in situated fieldwork ethics concerning ethnographic studies of adolescent students. While consequentialist and deontological ethics form the basis of the ethical stances shared by ethnographers and research ethics committees, the interpretation of those principles may diverge in school-based ethnography with adolescent students because of the particular role of the adult ethnographer vis-à-vis developmentally immature adolescents not held legally responsible for many of their actions. School ethnographers attempt to build trust with adolescent participants in order to learn about their hidden cultural worlds, which may involve activities that are very harmful to the youths involved. They face many difficult and sometimes unexpected choices, including whether to intervene and how to represent events and adolescents in published findings. Scenarios with examples drawn from research conducted in public high schools are used to illustrate and explicate dilemmas in formal research and latent insider/outsider roles and relations involving harmful adolescent behaviors, advocacy, and psychological trauma. Also examined are analytical procedures used to construct interpretations leading to representations of research participants in the resulting publication.

The impact of the maternal experience with a jaundiced newborn on the breastfeeding relationship.

PubMed

Willis, Sharla K; Hannon, Patricia R; Scrimshaw, Susan C

2002-05-01

To examine the process by which mothers' experiences with neonatal jaundice affect breastfeeding. We used ethnographic interviews with grounded theory methodology. Audiotaped data were transcribed and analyzed for themes using ATLAS/ti qualitative data analysis software (Scientific Software Development, Berlin, Germany). We studied a total of 47 Spanish- and English-speaking breastfeeding mothers of otherwise healthy infants diagnosed with neonatal jaundice. Our outcomes were the qualitative descriptions of maternal experiences with neonatal jaundice. Interactions with medical professionals emerged as the most important factor mediating the impact of neonatal jaundice on breastfeeding. Breastfeeding orders and the level of encouragement from medical professionals toward breastfeeding had the strongest effect on feeding decisions. Maternal reaction to and understanding of information from their physicians also played an important role. Guilt was common, as many mothers felt they had caused the jaundice by breastfeeding. By providing accurate information and encouragement to breastfeed, medical professionals have great impact on whether a mother continues breastfeeding after her experience with neonatal jaundice. Health care providers must be aware of how mothers receive and interpret information related to jaundice to minimize maternal reactions, such as guilt, that have a negative impact on breastfeeding.

Unruly grandmothers, ghosts and ancestors: Chinese elders and the importance of culture in dementia evaluations.

PubMed

Elliott, Kathryn S; Di Minno, Mariann

2006-01-01

This article explores the cultural clashes that occurred when Chinese patients at an Alzheimer's center in California were evaluated for dementia. Lack of familiarity with Chinese culture made the culturally mainstream American clinicians at this center more likely to misinterpret the behavior of elderly Chinese-speaking patients and their families and, thereby, more likely to misdiagnose such patients and suggest culturally inappropriate recommendations. This tendency was reduced when relevant cultural knowledge was incorporated into the clinical evaluation. The evaluation process at this clinic and two patient examples are discussed to illustrate that familiarity with a patient's cultural background is essential for accurate diagnosis and referral. This ethnographic case study places the evaluation process in one particular clinic in cultural context and is suggestive in the way that exploratory qualitative research is meant to be, rather than broadly representative of dementia clinics or clinicians as a whole. However, problems created by cultural clashes at this clinic do suggest that what may be happening at other dementia clinics as they encounter increasingly more patients from diverse cultural backgrounds is an important empirical question worthy of further research, using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

From voice to voices: identifying a plurality of Muslim sources in the news media.

PubMed

Munnik, Michael B

2017-03-01

This article identifies a qualitative change in the diversity of actors who represent Muslims in British news media. Hitherto, the literature discussing Muslims and the media has tended to characterize media organizations as institutions which portray Muslims in an essentialized, monolithic way. In contrast, I propose in this article that the process of representation is more complex, including greater agency and engaging a wider diversity of Muslims than the prevailing literature suggests. Sociological studies distinguish between official and unofficial sources who help determine the representations that journalists employ in their texts, and I apply this to Muslim communities in Glasgow. Using qualitative methods drawn from media production analysis, including participant-observation and ethnographic interviews, I identify a shift from a 'gatekeeper' model of representing the community to that of a plurality of sources, which reveals and insists on the diversity of Muslim communities and voices. I will show why a wider range of actors emerged to speak publicly, what differentiates them and how they position themselves as representatives of Muslims. This focus on producers and on source strategies brings fresh insights into a field dominated by content analysis and a 'media-centric' approach.

From voice to voices: identifying a plurality of Muslim sources in the news media

PubMed Central

Munnik, Michael B

2017-01-01

This article identifies a qualitative change in the diversity of actors who represent Muslims in British news media. Hitherto, the literature discussing Muslims and the media has tended to characterize media organizations as institutions which portray Muslims in an essentialized, monolithic way. In contrast, I propose in this article that the process of representation is more complex, including greater agency and engaging a wider diversity of Muslims than the prevailing literature suggests. Sociological studies distinguish between official and unofficial sources who help determine the representations that journalists employ in their texts, and I apply this to Muslim communities in Glasgow. Using qualitative methods drawn from media production analysis, including participant-observation and ethnographic interviews, I identify a shift from a ‘gatekeeper’ model of representing the community to that of a plurality of sources, which reveals and insists on the diversity of Muslim communities and voices. I will show why a wider range of actors emerged to speak publicly, what differentiates them and how they position themselves as representatives of Muslims. This focus on producers and on source strategies brings fresh insights into a field dominated by content analysis and a ‘media-centric’ approach. PMID:29708127

The Effect of School Culture on Science Education at an Ideologically Innovative Elementary Magnet School: An Ethnographic Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meier, Lori T.

2012-01-01

This ethnographic case study investigated the science practices of teachers at one public elementary magnet school in light of how school culture influenced science curriculum design and instruction. The purpose of the study was to address how school culture impacted the school's overall treatment of science as a viable content area. Key informant…

Late adolescent female smoking.

PubMed

Seguire, M; Chalmers, K I

2000-06-01

Although there have been intense efforts to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the past three decades, smoking continues to be a critical public health problem. An area of particular concern is the increasing number of young women who are smoking. Gender specific research usually does not examine factors affecting smoking behaviours. Information on late adolescent female smoking is not readily found in the literature. The aims of this study were to explore the smoking patterns and processes of late adolescent females and to explore factors which may or may not be helpful in assisting them to stop smoking. A qualitative ethnographic approach was used to uncover the perceptions of 25 adolescent girls of their behaviour. Data were collected using tape-recorded semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Items for the questionnaire were derived from the Manitoba Youth Smoking Survey and from the Fagerstrorn Nicotine Tolerance Scale. Qualitative analysis resulted in four stories about smoking: the start story, the smoking story, the quit story, and the looking to the future story. Although many of the findings are congruent with the existing literature, much of the data reflected the purposive nature of smoking in late adolescent girls. Study findings support the need for holistic approaches to health promotion to ameliorate factors affecting smoking behaviour.

Coercion, dissatisfaction, and social stigma: an ethnographic study of compensated living kidney donation in Iran.

PubMed

Fry-Revere, Sigrid; Chen, Deborah; Bastani, Bahar; Golestani, Simin; Agarwal, Rachana; Kugathasan, Howsikan; Le, Melissa

2018-02-26

This article updates the qualitative research on Iran reported in the 2012 article by Tong et al. "The experiences of commercial kidney donors: thematic synthesis of qualitative research" (Tong et al. in Transpl Int 25:1138-1149, 2012). The basic approach used in the Tong et al. article is applied to a more recent and more comprehensive study of Iranian living organ donors, providing a clearer picture of what compensated organ donation is like in Iran since the national government began regulating compensated donation. Iran is the only country in the world where kidney selling is legal, regulated, and subsidized by the national government. This article focuses on three themes: (1) coercion and other pressures to donate, (2) donor satisfaction with their donation experience, and (3) whether donors fear social stigma. We found no evidence of coercion, but 68% of the paid living organ donors interviewed felt pressure to donate due to extreme poverty or other family pressures. Even though 27% of the living kidney donors interviewed said they were satisfied with their donation experience, 74% had complaints about the donation process or its results, including some of the donors who said they were satisfied. In addition, 84% of donors indicated they feared experiencing social stigma because of their kidney donation.

Tales from the "hood:" placing reproductive health communication between African American fathers and children in context.

PubMed

Ohalete, Nnenna; Georges, Jane; Doswell, Willa

2010-01-01

To evaluate reproductive health communication between African American fathers and their children. In this qualitative ethnographic study, data were collected through tape-recorded individual interviews about the content and timing of reproductive health communication, the reproductive health values fathers intended to impart to their children, and their comfort level in doing so. A total sample of 19 African-American fathers participated. Data were coded according to the qualitative analytic principles established by Miles and Huberman (1994), and analyzed using manifest and latent content analysis approaches. Although 10 fathers reported feeling uncomfortable having these conversations, 18 reported having reproductive health communication with their children, and most encouraged their sons and daughters to delay sex until adulthood. These conversations were primarily driven by the fear of HIV/AIDS and the negative consequences of sex; however, some conversations were inappropriate for developmental age. African-American fathers may benefit from education to help them have age appropriate reproductive health communication with their children. Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners are well positioned to educate African American adolescents and their fathers on reproductive health. Future dyadic African American father-child studies are needed to explore more fully African-American children's perceptions of reproductive health communication and the effect on delaying sex.

On Teaching Ethnographic Film

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarfield, Geoffrey

2013-01-01

The author of this article, a developmental anthropologist, illustrates how the instructor can use ethnographic films to enhance the study of anthropology and override notions about the scope and efficacy of Western intervention in the Third World, provided the instructor places such films in their proper historical and cultural context. He…

An Ethnographic Diary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Graham

2008-01-01

This article examines a small-scale ethnographic survey of a single classroom. Drawing on the collected data, the discussion focuses on some of the problems encountered whilst collecting and interpreting data through self-report diaries. Amongst the issues considered are the perceptions of teachers and learners and their ability to articulate…

An Ethnographic Investigation of Chauncey Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheerer, Marilyn A.

An ethnographic investigation of interrelationships between teacher efficacy attitudes, teacher behavior, students' performance, and organizational climate in a total school setting was conducted at Chauncey Elementary School in Athens, Ohio. Chauncey was studied because its teachers had begun to implement an open classroom model which promoted a…

Rural Latinos' mental wellbeing: a mixed-methods pilot study of family, environment and social isolation factors.

PubMed

Stacciarini, Jeanne-Marie R; Smith, Rebekah; Garvan, Cynthia Wilson; Wiens, Brenda; Cottler, Linda B

2015-05-01

Upon immigration to the rural areas in the US, Latino families may experience cultural, geographic, linguistic and social isolation, which can detrimentally affect their wellbeing by acting as chronic stressors. Using a community engagement approach, this is a pilot mixed-method study with an embedded design using concurrent qualitative and quantitative data. The purpose of this study is to evaluate family and social environments in terms of protective factors and modifiable risks associated with mental well-being in Latino immigrants living in rural areas of Florida. Latino immigrant mother and adolescent dyads were interviewed by using in-depth ethnographic semistructured interviews and subsequent quantitative assessments, including a demographic questionnaire and three structured instruments: the Family Environment Scale Real Form, the SF-12v2™ Health Survey and the short version (eight items) of PROMIS Health Organization Social Isolation. This mixed-method pilot study highlighted how family, rural, and social environments can protect or impair wellbeing in rural Latino immigrant mother and adolescent dyads.

Misery in Dark Shadows behind the High Achievement Scores in South Korean Schooling: An Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Soonjung; Kristjánsson, Kristján; Walker, David I.

2017-01-01

This article explores some of the hidden background behind the highly praised school results in South Korea. An ethnographic case study is used to cast light on how schooling is actually experienced by South Korean students. Two main results are reported from these data. First, evidence is presented of damaging "cultural elements" such…

GoPro as an Ethnographic Tool: A Wayfinding Study in an Academic Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinsley, Kirsten M.; Schoonover, Dan; Spitler, Jasmine

2016-01-01

In this study, researchers sought to capture students' authentic experience of finding books in the main library using a GoPro camera and the think-aloud protocol. The GoPro provided a first-person perspective and was an effective ethnographic tool for observing a student's individual experience, while also demonstrating what tools they use to…

"You Who Have Been to School, What Have You Become?": An Ethnographic Study of University Life in Benin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hessling O'Neil, Marcy

2012-01-01

This dissertation examines the relationship between higher education and social mobility among students and their families in Benin, West Africa. In this study I draw on ethnographic research conducted at the public University of Abomey-Calavi in Cotonou, Benin in 2010. I utilize interviews, historical documents, and participant observation to…

The Contribution (or Not) of UN Higher Education to Peacebuilding: An Ethnographic Account

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kester, Kevin

2017-01-01

This paper examines the role of United Nations (UN) peace academics in teaching for peace within the UN higher education system, and questions what contribution, if any, UN peacebuilding education makes to the broader field of peace and conflict studies education, and in the lives of the people it touches. The study draws on ethnographic data…

The Divided Self: Overcoming the Internal Divisions in the Ethnographic Participant/Observer Role.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narney, Pam

A composition scholar conducted a study of peer response groups in a freshmen composition course to determine what leads to conflict among students in these groups. In the course of her study, however, she found herself deeply perplexed by conflicting roles she had to play as a participant/observer. The ethnographer as a participant/observer is,…

I Did That Wrong and It Sounded Good: An Ethnographic Study of Vernacular Music Making in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezquerra, Victor N.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine vernacular music making in higher education. The participants, undergraduate music education majors (N = 23 for Fall, N = 10 for Spring), were investigated throughout the course of the 2012-2013 academic year. A constructivist philosophical framework was applied and data were collected using…

Sport and Physical Activity in a High Security Spanish Prison: An Ethnographic Study of Multiple Meanings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martos-Garcia, Daniel; Devis-Devis, Jose; Sparkes, Andrew C.

2009-01-01

Drawing on data generated by a two-year ethnographic study in a high security Spanish prison, this article explores the multiple meanings given to the social practices of sport and physical activity. We provide details of the following key themes that emerged from the analysis: (a) escaping time; (b) perceived therapeutic benefits; (c) social…

How Do They Research? An Ethnographic Study of Final Year Undergraduate Research Behavior in an Irish University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunne, Siobhán

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were to identify how, when, and where students research; the impact of learning environments on research productivity, and to recommend improved supports to facilitate research. An ethnographic approach that entailed following five students in the final six weeks of their program enabled deep level analysis. The study…

Walking the Fine Line between Fieldwork Success and Failure: Advice for New Ethnographers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Peter Richard; Temple, Elizabeth C.

2014-01-01

While the importance of ethnographic research in developing new knowledge is widely recognised, there remains minimal detailed description and discussion of the actual practice and processes involved in completing ethnographic fieldwork. The first author's experiences and struggles as an ethnographer of a group of young men from two locations (a…

Why Do Women Not Use Antenatal Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries? A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies

PubMed Central

Finlayson, Kenneth; Downe, Soo

2013-01-01

Background Almost 50% of women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) don't receive adequate antenatal care. Women's views can offer important insights into this problem. Qualitative studies exploring inadequate use of antenatal services have been undertaken in a range of countries, but the findings are not easily transferable. We aimed to inform the development of future antenatal care programmes through a synthesis of findings in all relevant qualitative studies. Methods and Findings Using a predetermined search strategy, we identified robust qualitative studies reporting on the views and experiences of women in LMICs who received inadequate antenatal care. We used meta-ethnographic techniques to generate themes and a line-of-argument synthesis. We derived policy-relevant hypotheses from the findings. We included 21 papers representing the views of more than 1,230 women from 15 countries. Three key themes were identified: “pregnancy as socially risky and physiologically healthy”, “resource use and survival in conditions of extreme poverty”, and “not getting it right the first time”. The line-of-argument synthesis describes a dissonance between programme design and cultural contexts that may restrict access and discourage return visits. We hypothesize that centralised, risk-focused antenatal care programmes may be at odds with the resources, beliefs, and experiences of pregnant women who underuse antenatal services. Conclusions Our findings suggest that there may be a misalignment between current antenatal care provision and the social and cultural context of some women in LMICs. Antenatal care provision that is theoretically and contextually at odds with local contextual beliefs and experiences is likely to be underused, especially when attendance generates increased personal risks of lost family resources or physical danger during travel, when the promised care is not delivered because of resource constraints, and when women experience covert or overt abuse in care settings. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:23349622

Why do women not use antenatal services in low- and middle-income countries? A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

PubMed

Finlayson, Kenneth; Downe, Soo

2013-01-01

Almost 50% of women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) don't receive adequate antenatal care. Women's views can offer important insights into this problem. Qualitative studies exploring inadequate use of antenatal services have been undertaken in a range of countries, but the findings are not easily transferable. We aimed to inform the development of future antenatal care programmes through a synthesis of findings in all relevant qualitative studies. Using a predetermined search strategy, we identified robust qualitative studies reporting on the views and experiences of women in LMICs who received inadequate antenatal care. We used meta-ethnographic techniques to generate themes and a line-of-argument synthesis. We derived policy-relevant hypotheses from the findings. We included 21 papers representing the views of more than 1,230 women from 15 countries. Three key themes were identified: "pregnancy as socially risky and physiologically healthy", "resource use and survival in conditions of extreme poverty", and "not getting it right the first time". The line-of-argument synthesis describes a dissonance between programme design and cultural contexts that may restrict access and discourage return visits. We hypothesize that centralised, risk-focused antenatal care programmes may be at odds with the resources, beliefs, and experiences of pregnant women who underuse antenatal services. Our findings suggest that there may be a misalignment between current antenatal care provision and the social and cultural context of some women in LMICs. Antenatal care provision that is theoretically and contextually at odds with local contextual beliefs and experiences is likely to be underused, especially when attendance generates increased personal risks of lost family resources or physical danger during travel, when the promised care is not delivered because of resource constraints, and when women experience covert or overt abuse in care settings.

An Ethnographic Exploration of Self-Reported Violence Among Rural Methamphetamine Users

PubMed Central

Sexton, Rocky L.; Carlson, Robert G.; Leukefeld, Carl G.; Booth, Brenda M.

2012-01-01

Baseline and follow-up qualitative interviews with methamphetamine (MA) users in rural Kentucky and Arkansas examined their involvement in drug-related violence. Twelve baseline participants reported MA-related violence, while 20 reported violence linked to other substances. In follow-up interviews conducted 12 to 24 months later, four participants reported MA-related violence and 3 reported violence associated with other substances. Violence was rarely connected to MA’s psychoactive effects. Rather, causes of violence included disputes over MA or its use, as well as paranoia, ill-tempers, and hallucinations during MA “binges.” Implications of the findings for informing additional research and interventions are discussed. PMID:19266373

Dream Interpretation as a Component of Researcher's Reflexivity within an Ethnographic Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miškolci, Jozef

2015-01-01

Researchers' "reflexivity" about how they shape the phenomena that they study within the data collection process is often presented as a crucial component of ethnographic research methodology. Nevertheless, academic literature about ethnography is mostly silent around whether researchers' dreams are relevant to the research process and…

Vignettes of Interviews to Enhance an Ethnographic Account

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobsen, Alice Juel

2014-01-01

This article explores challenges of applying an ethnographic approach, combining participant observation and interviews, to a study of organizational change. The exploration is connected to reform changes, as they are constructed in the interaction between managers and teachers, in a Danish Upper Secondary High School. The data material is…

The Effects of Migration on Children: An Ethnographic Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prewitt Diaz, Joseph O.; And Others

This report re-examines previously gathered ethnographic data derived from approximately 3,000 hours of interviews with migrants across the United States to determine what factors associated with migration affect children's educational outcomes. The data suggest the existence of a "culture of migrancy," which is manifested in similar…

Ethnographic Households and Archaeological Interpretations: A Case from Iranian Kurdistan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer, Carol

1982-01-01

Shows how archaeological interpretation based strictly on the evidence of architectural remains may lead to inaccurate conclusions about social patterns in extinct societies. An ethnographic study of an Iranian Kurdish village is used to illustrate the possible variations of residential social relationships within buildings with similar…

"Just Go in Looking Good": The Resilience, Resistance, and Kinship-Building of Trans* College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolazzo, Z.

2016-01-01

This article explores the strategies transgender college students use to navigate gender-dichotomous collegiate environments. Using a critical collaborative ethnographic methodology (Bhattacharya, 2008), this 18-month ethnographic study alongside 9 transgender students elucidated how gender operates as a discourse to regulate the collegiate life…

Further Education Sector Governors as Ethnographers: Five Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clapham, Andrew; Vickers, Rob

2018-01-01

This paper considers how governors in the English "Further Education and Skills" (FE) sector examined their practice as ethnographers. The paper locates both FE governance and ethnography within the challenges of the performative and Panoptic environments facing English education. In doing so, the paper explores how the informants'…

Reading Shop Windows in Globalized Neighborhoods: Multilingual Literacy Practices and Indexicality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, James; Slembrouck, Stef

2007-01-01

Shop and cafe signs in multiple languages are familiar features of polyglot immigrant neighborhoods. This paper examines such signs, presenting photographic, observational, and interview data from a multisited ethnographic study of language contact in Ghent, an urban Belgian city. Drawing upon diverse ethnographic sources, especially the…

Histories and Horoscopes: The Ethnographer as Fortune-Teller.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Mary

1998-01-01

Focuses on different ways participants in a research project may understand the research and use it themselves by describing how 20 adult students and 14 community members, participants in a recent ethnographic study of adult literacy in England, responded to the invitation to collaborate with researchers in interpreting interview data. (SLD)

Evolution Education in Policy and Practice: An Ethnographic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, David E.

2012-01-01

Evolution education in the US is conducted unevenly, or in cases is absent. Showing the strength of ethnography as a means of deeper explication in science education, this article explores the interactions of policy and practice in evolution education. Discussing vignettes from a larger ethnographic study, Creationist rationales and practices…

An Ethnographic Account of the Composing Behaviors of Five Young Bilingual Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halsall, Sharen Weber

A study examined bilingual children's composing behaviors during classroom writing and their perceptions of writing. Students' descriptions of what occurred in their day-to-day environment were analyzed using ethnographic methods. The researcher observed five subjects--bilingual students in kindergarten through third grade--for 145 hours, and…

Optimising clinical practice in cancer genetics with cultural competence: lessons to be learned from ethnographic research with Chinese-Australians.

PubMed

Eisenbruch, Maurice; Yeo, Soo See; Meiser, Bettina; Goldstein, David; Tucker, Kathy; Barlow-Stewart, Kristine

2004-07-01

Hereditary cancer is about families, and clinicians and genetic counsellors need to understand the cultural beliefs of patients and families about cancer and inheritance. In the light of their kinship patterns Chinese-Australians were chosen for the present study, which aims to determine the explanatory models of inheritance, cancer, and inherited cancer, with a view to identifying the relationship between these culture-specific lay attributions and help-seeking behaviour, and to identify possible barriers to genetic counselling and testing. Qualitative ethnographically informed methodology involving semi-structured interview was used as a method to uncover latent beliefs held by the families who are represented by the subjects. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 informants of Chinese ethnicity, who had been recruited through two major Sydney familial cancer clinics. We report the attributions of cancer in general, then on inheritance, kinship, genes and genetics and then focus on the way in which these beliefs come together around hereditary cancer. The majority of informants, despite high acculturation and belief in biomedical explanations about hereditary cancer, also acknowledged the influence of traditional family Chinese beliefs, where 'inheritance' and 'genetics' were related to retribution for ancestral misdeeds and offending ancestors. Extensive mismatch of attributes and beliefs were identified in those who attended the clinic and senior family members, creating barriers to optimal service utilisation. Three traditional patterns of beliefs were identified: (a) father and mother contributed in equal share to one's genetic makeup, linked to the ying-yang theory; (b) the dominance of life force (yang chi) and the shaping of genes were transmitted through the paternal line; and (c) natural and supernatural forces operated in the cause of hereditary cancer. The study provided guidance for clinical practice. Exploration and acknowledgement of family beliefs, regardless of cultural background and therefore avoiding stereotyping, can enable the clinician to work with the whole family-those who hold Western attributions, those who maintain traditional notions of genetics and inheritance, and those who incorporate both into their belief systems-and provide effective clinical services. Further ethnographic studies are needed, focusing on the Chinese groups who do not attend the clinic and those with lower acculturation and educational levels.

Lean leadership: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Aij, Kjeld Harald; Visse, Merel; Widdershoven, Guy A M

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a critical analysis of contemporary Lean leadership in the context of a healthcare practice. The Lean leadership model supports professionals with a leading role in implementing Lean. This article presents a case study focusing specifically on leadership behaviours and issues that were experienced, observed and reported in a Dutch university medical centre. This ethnographic case study provides auto-ethnographic accounts based on experiences, participant observation, interviews and document analysis. Characteristics of Lean leadership were identified to establish an understanding of how to achieve successful Lean transformation. This study emphasizes the importance for Lean leaders to go to the gemba, to see the situation for one's own self, empower health-care employees and be modest. All of these are critical attributes in defining the Lean leadership mindset. In this case study, Lean leadership is specifically related to healthcare, but certain common leadership characteristics are relevant across all fields. This article shows the value of an auto-ethnographic view on management learning for the analysis of Lean leadership. The knowledge acquired through this research is based on the first author's experiences in fulfilling his role as a health-care leader. This may help the reader examining his/her own role and reflecting on what matters most in the field of Lean leadership.

Methodological convergence of program evaluation designs.

PubMed

Chacón-Moscoso, Salvador; Anguera, M Teresa; Sanduvete-Chaves, Susana; Sánchez-Martín, Milagrosa

2014-01-01

Nowadays, the confronting dichotomous view between experimental/quasi-experimental and non-experimental/ethnographic studies still exists but, despite the extensive use of non-experimental/ethnographic studies, the most systematic work on methodological quality has been developed based on experimental and quasi-experimental studies. This hinders evaluators and planners' practice of empirical program evaluation, a sphere in which the distinction between types of study is changing continually and is less clear. Based on the classical validity framework of experimental/quasi-experimental studies, we carry out a review of the literature in order to analyze the convergence of design elements in methodological quality in primary studies in systematic reviews and ethnographic research. We specify the relevant design elements that should be taken into account in order to improve validity and generalization in program evaluation practice in different methodologies from a practical methodological and complementary view. We recommend ways to improve design elements so as to enhance validity and generalization in program evaluation practice.

Nursing and the ethnographic accomplishment.

PubMed

Patterson, Christopher; Procter, Nicholas; Toffoli, Luisa

2017-03-22

This issue of Nurse Researcher focuses on ethnographic research in nursing. The three themed papers provide an overview of the ethnographic accomplishment dealing with methodological issues in the conduct of ethnographic work and how nursing and nurses' work is represented. The authors take account of how contemporary approaches to ethnography are shaped by understandings of and approaches to nursing.

Computational Model for Ethnographically Informed Systems Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, Rahat; James, Anne; Shah, Nazaraf; Terken, Jacuqes

This paper presents a computational model for ethnographically informed systems design that can support complex and distributed cooperative activities. This model is based on an ethnographic framework consisting of three important dimensions (e.g., distributed coordination, awareness of work and plans and procedure), and the BDI (Belief, Desire and Intention) model of intelligent agents. The ethnographic framework is used to conduct ethnographic analysis and to organise ethnographically driven information into three dimensions, whereas the BDI model allows such information to be mapped upon the underlying concepts of multi-agent systems. The advantage of this model is that it is built upon an adaptation of existing mature and well-understood techniques. By the use of this model, we also address the cognitive aspects of systems design.

Patient-physician interaction in general practice and health inequalities in a multidisciplinary study: design, methods and feasibility in the French INTERMEDE study.

PubMed

Kelly-Irving, Michelle; Rolland, Christine; Afrite, Anissa; Cases, Chantal; Dourgnon, Paul; Lombrail, Pierre; Pascal, Jean; Lang, Thierry

2009-04-22

The way in which patients and their doctors interact is a potentially important factor in optimal communication during consultations as well as treatment, compliance and follow-up care. The aim of this multidisciplinary study is to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the 'black box' that is the interaction between the two parties during a general practice consultation, and to identify factors therein that may contribute to producing health inequalities. This paper outlines the original multidisciplinary methodology used, and the feasibility of this type of study. The study design combines methodologies on two separate samples in two phases. Firstly, a qualitative phase collected ethnographical and sociological data during consultation, followed by in-depth interviews with both patients and doctors independently. Secondly, a quantitative phase on a different sample of patients and physicians collected data via several questionnaires given to patients and doctors consisting of specific 'mirrored' questions asked post-consultation, as well as collecting information on patient and physician characteristics. The design and methodology used in this study were both successfully implemented, and readily accepted by doctors and patients alike. This type of multidisciplinary study shows great potential in providing further knowledge into the role of patient/physician interaction and its influence on maintaining or producing health inequalities. The next challenge in this study will be implementing the multidisciplinary approach during the data analysis.

Reflections on Native Ethnography by a Nurse Researcher.

PubMed

Abdulrehman, Munib Said

2017-03-01

There are benefits and challenges associated with conducting research in a familiar setting, especially when the researcher is more an insider than an outsider. The aim of this article is to explore the author's experience as a native scholar conducting ethnographic research among the Swahili peoples of Lamu, Kenya. This article focuses on methodological issues related to conducting ethnographic research among the author's own people, including examining the issues of anthropological reflexivity as a native ethnographer and highlighting the author's experiences embodying multiple identities. Native ethnographers must consider the challenges associated with negotiating multiple roles in the research setting, especially in the presence of sociocultural factors such as gender stratification, complex kinship networks, socioeconomic hierarchies, illiteracy, and poverty. Embracing rather than being confused by the multiple levels of understanding native researchers bring to studies of their communities opens up new avenues of research and possibilities.

The school environment and student health: a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative research

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background There is increasing interest in promoting young people’s health by modifying the school environment. However, existing research offers little guidance on how the school context enables or constrains students’ health behaviours, or how students’ backgrounds relate to these processes. For these reasons, this paper reports on a meta-ethnography of qualitative studies examining: through what processes does the school environment (social and physical) influence young people’s health? Methods Systematic review of qualitative studies. Sixteen databases were searched, eliciting 62, 329 references which were screened, with included studies quality assessed, data extracted and synthesized using an adaptation of Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnographic approach. Results Nineteen qualitative studies were synthesised to explore processes through which school-level influences on young people’s health might occur. Four over-arching meta-themes emerged across studies focused on a range of different health issues. First, aggressive behaviour and substance use are often a strong source of status and bonding at schools where students feel educationally marginalised or unsafe. Second, health-risk behaviours are concentrated in unsupervised ‘hotspots’ at the school. Third, positive relationships with teachers appear to be critical in promoting student wellbeing and limiting risk behaviour; however, certain aspects of schools’ organisation and education policies constrain this, increasing the likelihood that students look for a sense of identity and social support via health-risk behaviours. Fourth, unhappiness at school can cause students to seek sources of ‘escape’, either by leaving school at lunchtime or for longer unauthorized spells or through substance use. These meta-themes resonate with Markham and Aveyard’s theory of human functioning and school organisation, and we draw on these qualitative data to refine and extend this theory, in particular conceptualising more fully the role of young people’s agency and student-led ‘systems’ in constituting school environments and generating health risks. Conclusion Institutional features which may shape student health behaviours such as lack of safety, poor student-staff relationships and lack of student voice are amenable to interventions and should be the subject of future investigation. Future qualitative research should focus on health behaviours which are under-theorised in this context such as physical activity, sexual and mental health. PMID:24007211

Negotiating policy in practice: child and family health nurses' approach to the process of postnatal psychosocial assessment.

PubMed

Rollans, Mellanie; Schmied, Virginia; Kemp, Lynn; Meade, Tanya

2013-04-08

There is growing recognition internationally of the need to identify women with risk factors for poor perinatal mental health in pregnancy and following birth. In the state of New South Wales, Australia the Supporting Families Early policy provides a framework of assessment and support for women and families and includes routine psychosocial assessment and depression screening. This study investigated the approach taken by Child and Family Health Nurses (CFHNs) following birth to assessment and screening as recommended by state policy. This was a qualitative ethnographic study that included 83 CFHN and 20 women. Observations occurred with thirteen nurses; with 20 women, in the home or the clinic environment. An additional 70 nurses participated in discussion groups. An observational tool (4D&4R) and field notes were used to record observations and analysed descriptively using frequencies. Field notes, interview data and discussion group transcripts were analysed thematically. This was a qualitative ethnographic study that included 83 CFHN and 20 women. Observations occurred with thirteen nurses; with 20 women, in the home or the clinic environment. An additional 70 nurses participated in discussion groups. An observational tool (4D&4R) and field notes were used to record observations and analysed descriptively using frequencies. Field notes, interview data and discussion group transcripts were analysed thematically. CFHNs demonstrated a range of approaches to assessment and screening. Psychosocial assessment was conducted in 50% (10 out of the 20) of the interactions observed; however, all the women were screened using the Edinburgh Depression Scale. Four major themes that represent the approach taken to the assessment process were identified: 'Engagement: getting that first bit right', 'Doing some paperwork', 'Creating comfort' and 'Psychosocial assessment: doing it another way'. Nurses utilised other skills such as observing the women interacting with their baby, taking note of non verbal communication and using intuition to develop a clinical decision. Overall, nurses' took a sensitive and caring approach to assessment and screening, however, there were differences in interpretations of the policy recommendations across the two sites. Nurses adopt a flexible, relationship-based approach to the assessment process; however, they experience tension when required to incorporate structured psychosocial assessment processes. To undertake assessment and screening effectively, CFHNs require ongoing support, training and supervision to maintain this sensitive and emotionally challenging work.

Native Hawaiian Ethnographic Study for the Hawaii Geothermal Project Proposed for Puna and Southeast Maui

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsuoka, J.K; Minerbi, L.; Kanahele, P.

This report makes available and archives the background scientific data and related information collected for an ethnographic study of selected areas on the islands of Hawaii and Maui. The task was undertaken during preparation of an environmental impact statement for Phases 3 and 4 of the Hawaii Geothermal Project (HGP) as defined by the state of Hawaii in its April 1989 proposal to Congress. Since the state of Hawaii is no longer pursuing or planning to pursue the HGP, DOE considers the project to be terminated. Information is included on the ethnohistory of Puna and southeast Maui; ethnographic fieldwork comparingmore » Puna and southeast Maui; and Pele beliefs, customs, and practices.« less

‘It’s learned on the job and it depends who you’re with.’ An observational qualitative study of how internal jugular cannulation is taught and learned

PubMed Central

Mort, Maggie M; Smith, Andrew F

2017-01-01

Internal jugular cannulation may lead to serious complications. Ultrasound guidance is advocated; however, procedural complications remain a concern. Inconsistent education may be in part responsible for this. This study examined how internal jugular cannulation is taught and learned. An ethnographic approach was used in two acute hospitals. Methods comprised interviews, observations and focus groups. An inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. Three themes were identified: apprenticeship, trust and reciprocity. In apprenticeship, a new form of apprenticeship learning, necessitated by the structure of training is described. In trust the strategies by which trainers assess trainees’ competence in order to allow them to gain experience is explored. In reciprocity the beneficial influence of trainees is illustrated. This study demonstrates how high-stakes procedures are learned. It provides insights into under-investigated topics such as the use of ‘permitted mistakes’ to stimulate reflection and the role played by trainees in promoting good practice. PMID:29456598

Women's self-efficacy perceptions in mathematics and science: Investigating USC-MESA students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Rebecca Cheng-Shun

This study is an investigation into female high school seniors in the USC-MESA program and how the role of self-efficacy perceptions in mathematics and science relates to their college major choice. Bandura's theory on self-efficacy provides the backdrop for this study. This study is qualitative and takes an ethnographic approach incorporating 23 interviews, 2 focus groups, 49.5 hours of observation, and document analysis. Results show that female high school seniors participating in the USC-MESA program demonstrate a strong self-efficacy perception in mathematics and science through their academic choices and pursuits in high school and beyond. This finding confirms a linear approach in understanding how courses taken in high school contribute to the trajectory of college academic choices. It also challenges the theory of self-efficacy in math and science to examine historically underrepresented populations in the field and the external factors that play a key role in their persistence to pursue STEM fields in college and beyond.

Ordinary Lives: An Ethnographic Study of Young People Attending Entry to Employment Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Lisa; Simmons, Robin; Thompson, Ron

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the findings from a one-year ethnographic study of young people attending Entry to Employment (E2E) programmes in two local authorities in the north of England. The paper locates E2E within the broader context of provision for low-achieving young people and of UK government policy on reducing the proportion of young people who…

An Ethnographic Field Study of the Influence of Social Interactions during the School Day for Children Diagnosed with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feder, Kim Michéle; Bak, Carsten Kronborg; Petersen, Kirsten Schultz; Vardinghus-Nielsen, Henrik; Kristiansen, Tine Mechlenborg

2017-01-01

The aim of this ethnographic field study was to investigate the influence of school-day social interactions on the well-being and social inclusion of children diagnosed with ADHD. The empirical data consisted of participant observations and informal interviews over a three-month period at a Danish primary school. Two ADHD-diagnosed 11-year-old…

Youth Studies and Timescapes: Insights from an Ethnographic Study of "Young Night Drifters" in Hong Kong's Public Housing Estates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves, Julian M.; Ho, Wai-Yip; Siu, Kaxton

2012-01-01

This article draws on insights from the sociology of time to examine how scheduling influences social interaction and identity among young people and those who work with them. Drawing on an ethnographic analysis of "Young Night Drifters" and youth outreach social workers in Hong Kong's public housing estates, we create a framework to…

On Becoming a Civic-Minded Instructional Designer: An Ethnographic Study of an Instructional Design Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusop, Farrah Dina; Correia, Ana-Paula

2014-01-01

This ethnographic study took place in a graduate course at a large research university in the Midwestern United States. It presents an in-depth examination of the experiences and challenges of a group of four students learning to be Instructional Design and Technology professionals who are concerned with the well-being of all members of a society,…

Black Student School Success: An Ethnographic Study in a Large Urban Public School System. A Preliminary Report Submitted to the Spencer Foundation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fordham, Signithia

This preliminary report examines the complex relationship between black adolescents' school performance and black Americans' intragroup social organization, as well as the intrusive influence of the larger social structure. It is based on a two-year ethnographic study of high school students in a black section of Washington, D.C. Emphasis is on…

Muddling through School Life: An Ethnographic Study of the Subculture of "Deviant" Students in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Lin; Xie, Ailei

2016-01-01

This paper reports the findings of an eight-month ethnographic study of a small group of at-risk youths in a school of a southern coastal city in China. The process leading to the young students being marginalised by the school system and how they developed a "muddling through" subculture to counteract this marginalisation is revealed.…

Expanded Awareness of Student Performance: A Case Study in Applied Ethnographic Monitoring in a Bilingual Classroom. Sociolinguistic Working Paper Number 60.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrasco, Robert L.

The case study of the use of a classroom observation technique to evaluate the abilities and performance of a bilingual kindergarten student previously assessed as a low achiever is described. There are three objectives: to show the validity of the ethnographic monitoring technique, to show the value of teachers as collaborating researchers, and…

Wash and Wean: Bathing Patients Undergoing Weaning Trials During Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

PubMed Central

Happ, Mary Beth; Tate, Judith A.; Swigart, Valerie A.; DiVirgilio-Thomas, Dana; Hoffman, Leslie A.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND Bathing is a fundamental nursing care activity performed for or with the self-assistance of critically ill patients. Few studies address caregiver and/or patient-family perspectives about bathing activity during weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation. OBJECTIVE To describe practices and beliefs about bathing patients during weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV). METHODS Secondary analysis of qualitative data (observational field notes, interviews, and clinical record review) from a larger ethnographic study involving 30 patients weaning from PMV and the clinicians who cared for them using basic qualitative description. RESULTS Bathing, hygiene, and personal care were highly valued and equated with “good” nursing care by families and nurses. Nurses and respiratory therapists reported “working around” bath time and promoted conducting weaning trials before or after bathing. Patients were nevertheless bathed during weaning trials despite clinicians expressed concerns for energy conservation. Clinicians’ recognized individual patient response to bathing during PMV weaning trials. CONCLUSION Bathing is a central care activity for PMV patients and a component of daily work processes in the ICU. Bathing requires assessment of patient condition and activity tolerance and nurse-respiratory therapist negotiation and accommodation with respect to the initiation and/or continuation of PMV weaning trials during bathing. Further study is needed to validate the impact (or lack of impact) of various timing strategies for bathing PMV patients. PMID:20561877

Becoming a Networked Public: Digital Ethnography, Youth and Global Research Collectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Kathleen; Wessels, Anne; Ntelioglou, Burcu Yaman

2013-01-01

The following article describes a research context that has privileged both virtual and placed-based ethnographic fieldwork, using a hybrid methodology of live and digital communications across school sites in Toronto, Canada; Lucknow, India; Taipei, Taiwan; and Boston, USA. The multi-site ethnographic study is concerned with questions of school…

From Ethnography to Items: A Mixed Methods Approach to Developing a Survey to Examine Graduate Engineering Student Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crede, Erin; Borrego, Maura

2013-01-01

As part of a sequential exploratory mixed methods study, 9 months of ethnographically guided observations and interviews were used to develop a survey examining graduate engineering student retention. Findings from the ethnographic fieldwork yielded several themes, including international diversity, research group organization and climate,…

Parent-Research as a Process of Inquiry: An Ethnographic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabuto, Bobbie

2008-01-01

This article illustrates how an ethnographic perspective can provide a descriptive methodological approach to parent-research as a process of inquiry within the field of education. By juxtaposing data and illuminating reflexive accounts from a longitudinal parent-research study, I suggest that such a perspective provides critical insights into the…

"Everyone Has Their Own Qualities": Tracking and Academic Self-Appraisal in Flemish Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Praag, Lore; Demanet, Jannick; Stevens, Peter A. J.; Van Houtte, Mieke

2017-01-01

Track position has an impact on students' perceptions of educational success. These perceptions matter as they relate to educational and professional aspirations and choices. In this ethnographic study, based on ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews in three secondary schools in Flanders (northern part of Belgium), we want to…

How Older Adults Make Decisions regarding Smart Technology: An Ethnographic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Rick D.; Mann, William; Lutz, Barbara

2012-01-01

Comparatively little research has been conducted regarding the smart technology needs of the older adult population despite the proliferation of smart technology prototypes. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived smart technology needs of older adults with mobility impairments while using an ethnographic research approach to…

A Potentially Heteroglossic Policy Becomes Monoglossic in Context: An Ethnographic Analysis of Paraguayan Bilingual Education Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mortimer, Katherine S.

2016-01-01

Ethnographic and discursive approaches to educational language policy (ELP) that explore how policy is appropriated in context are important for understanding policy success/failure in meeting goals of educational equity for language-minoritized students. This study describes how Paraguayan national policy for universal bilingual education…

Ethical Issues of Ethnography Method: A Comparative Approach to Subaltern, Self, and the Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odeyemi, Christo

2013-01-01

Using urban and rural community settings, this review article focuses on ethical issues associated with ethnographer-participant interaction and draws from the ethnographic accounts of Bronislaw Malinowski and Susan Krieger. As such, the following sections intend to illuminate the issue of ethics in ethnography research. As case studies, the…

Unintended Social Reproduction in Community College Vocational ESL (VESL): An Ethnographic Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ketzenberg, Laurie

2010-01-01

This ethnographic study focuses on a community college VESL program in the Pacific Northwest that attempts to address the critical employment needs of a growing number of English language learners (ELLs). Immigrants are routinely barred from mainstream career and technical programs because content is linguistically inaccessible. This college VESL…

Differentiation through Individualisation--An Ethnographic Investigation of How One Swedish School Creates Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gustafsson, Jan

2018-01-01

The present article examines the general debate on curriculum differentiation and individualisation. Based on a policy ethnographic case study of class 9a at Forest School, it critically analyses how curriculum differentiation and individualisation are enacted in and interfere with classroom practice. The results show how Forest School's…

"Rocking the Boat": Developing a Shared Discourse of Resistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Sara Lewis-Bernstein

2010-01-01

The purpose of this critical ethnographic study is to provide an account from within a public school of some of the ways that heterosexist discourses and silences are reproduced and challenged. As a classroom teacher and critical ethnographer, I conducted this research with straight-identified high school students as they came to understand,…

Ethnography as a Tool for Research in Student Activities at Small Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, James V.

During the 1979-80 academic year, a study was conducted to determine the beliefs and attitudes held by individuals in four groups (students, parents, teachers, and administrators) directly associated with the student activity program in a small Mississippi high school using ethnographic techniques. Ethnographic techniques involve the direct…

An Ethnographic Approach to Syllabus Design: A Case Study of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramani, Esther; And Others

1988-01-01

Argues for an ethnographic reorientation to needs analysis and syllabus design in English for specific purposes in advanced postgraduate centers of science and technology. The seven-stage framework (specify learners, analyze needs, specify enabling objectives, select materials, identify teaching/learning activities, evaluate, and revise) used to…

The Viability of Ethnographic Research for Hispanic Consumer Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asahina, Roberta R.

A study explored whether ethnographic research is appropriate and feasible for Hispanic consumer research. Subjects, 41 Hispanic advertising executives (out of an original group of 80) in advertising agencies listed in the Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and San Antonio, answered a 23-item…

Students' Experience of Synchronous Learning in Distributed Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Anissa R.; Harlow, Danielle B.; DeBacco, Kim

2011-01-01

This article reports on a two-year ethnographic study of learners participating in multi-site, graduate-level education classes. Classes sometimes met face-to-face in the same physical location; at other times part of the class met physically elsewhere. Yet all were linked through the virtual space. Ethnographic analysis of four data types…

How can we strengthen students' social relations in order to reduce school dropout? An intervention development study within four Danish vocational schools.

PubMed

Ingholt, Liselotte; Sørensen, Betina Bang; Andersen, Susan; Zinckernagel, Line; Friis-Holmberg, Teresa; Frank, Vibeke Asmussen; Stock, Christiane; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine; Rod, Morten Hulvej

2015-05-22

This article describes the rationale and contents of an intervention program aimed at strengthening students' social relations in order to reduce dropout from vocational schools in Denmark. Taking its theoretical cue from the concept of 'social participation', a qualitative study was performed to investigate the specific relationships between the social environment within the schools and the institutional structures in order to analyse reasons for school dropout and their relation to well-being, cigarette smoking and substance use. The development study was based on ethnographic methods, including 22 qualitative interviews with students 17-19 years old and fieldwork with participant observations at four vocational schools over 40 days, including informal interviews and discussion meetings with managers, teachers, counselors and students. As part of the fieldwork, four additional qualitative interviews and four group interviews were conducted with students 16-25 years old. The qualitative data collection resulted in seven major themes to be addressed in the intervention: social relations, sole focus on professional skills, institutionalized individualization, importance of the introduction period, physical surroundings and schedules, tobacco and cannabis use and communication about drug use. The program addressing these themes incorporates suggestions that are meant to improve how teachers welcome new students, to enable greater integration of social and educational activities and to enhance the capacity of teachers and counselors to deal with drug use problems among students. The development of new intervention programs might benefit from adopting a theoretical and methodological perspective that enables a closer exploration of the everyday social practices in which interventions are embedded. Thus, we aimed to create a comprehensive intervention that worked through organizational changes in everyday school practices. Intervention programs must be planned in dialogue and collaboration with practitioners in the field to ensure the pertinence and usability of the program.

The impact of nursing leadership and management on the control of HIV/AIDS: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Nawafleh, Hani; Francis, Karen; Chapman, Ysanne

2012-10-01

This paper reports on an aspect of a larger ethnographic study that sought to investigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on the practice of primary care nurses in Jordan. Nursing leadership and the style of management adopted by senior nursing and medical administrators at the Ministry of Heath were identified as factors impacting on the practice of the nurses and their capacity to raise community awareness and contribute to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. The study was undertaken in three rural and three urban primary health care centres (PHCC). Data collection included participant observation, key informant interviews, and document analysis. These data informed the development of descriptive ethnographic accounts that allowed for the subsequent identification of common and divergent themes reflective of factors recognized as influencing the practice of the nurse participants.

The value of ethnographic alcohol studies: a psychologist's perspective.

PubMed

Johnson, P B

1993-07-01

Drinking behavior has been studied by scientists from a variety of social science disciplines including anthropology, economics, sociology, and psychology. The very nature of their narrow, discipline-based training and work, however, has often prevented these scientists from appreciating each other's different methodologies and from conducting cooperative, interdisciplinary studies. In this paper, I discuss how my own experience with ethnographic alcohol studies influenced my research on drinking behavior. I then outline a research strategy that could be used to foster interdisciplinary alcohol studies.

Ua neeb khu: a Hmong American healing ceremony.

PubMed

Capps, Lisa L

2011-06-01

Ua neeb khu (pronounced "oo-ah neng kue") is a ceremonial healing practice engaged in by Hmong Americans for the treatment of various health problems involving spiritually focused concerns that only a shaman practitioner is qualified to treat. A qualitative ethnographic case study method with participant observation was used to analyze a spiritual healing ceremony performed by a shaman healer (txiv neeb) for an elderly Hmong American male residing in a midwestern city in the United States. The healing ritual was filmed and reviewed with the shaman healer to identify symbolic meanings and processes. Through ritual exchange and reciprocal transaction between the spirit and living world, the shaman facilitated the resolution of the spiritual problem and promoted the patient's healing and sense of well-being. Awareness of the symbolic aspects of ritual in ua neeb khu and the relationship to the patient's world view is useful to health practitioners for a holistic understanding of Hmong American healing practices.

Ataques de nervios in the Puerto Rican Diagnostic Interview Schedule: the impact of cultural categories on psychiatric epidemiology.

PubMed

Guarnaccia, P J; Rubio-Stipec, M; Canino, G

1989-09-01

This paper examines the effect of the cultural category ataques de nervios on responses to the Puerto Rican Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), a Spanish version of structured psychiatric diagnostic interview developed for the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. An ataque de nervios scale was created from the Somatization items of the DIS to explore the effect of this culturally meaningful category of distress on responses to a standard psychiatric interview. Analysis of 1,513 cases from a representative sample of the island of Puerto Rico indicated that people reporting ataque symptoms fit the social characteristics described for ataques sufferers in the ethnographic literature. Qualitative data indicated that Puerto Ricans were reporting ataques de nervios in the panic section of the DIS. Questions are raised about the validity of the somatization and panic sections of the DIS in cross-cultural research with Hispanics.

Homeless children: Experiences and meanings of the environments they construct.

PubMed

Forero Pulido, Constanza; Giraldo Pineda, Álvaro; Martínez Hernández, Johana Victoria

2016-04-01

This work sought to learn of the experiences of homeless children and understand the meanings they give to environments they construct within these spaces. The study took place in Medellín, Colombia in 2015. Ours was a qualitative research with ethnographic approach. Non-structured interviews and observations were conducted; a field diary was kept. The street, although a space of public use, is converted by children into their private space; they carry in it almost all their activities and construct two big environments: that of the street that attracts and educates and that of the work that is transitory because it is performed to survive. These children dream with an ideal environment that allows them to live quietly. Children convert the street into a private place where they carry out their daily practices: socializing, working, sleeping, having fun, and relaxing, that is, a place of social construction.

Addressing Underrepresentation in Sex Work Research: Reflections on Designing a Purposeful Sampling Strategy.

PubMed

Bungay, Vicky; Oliffe, John; Atchison, Chris

2016-06-01

Men, transgender people, and those working in off-street locales have historically been underrepresented in sex work health research. Failure to include all sections of sex worker populations precludes comprehensive understandings about a range of population health issues, including potential variations in the manifestation of such issues within and between population subgroups, which in turn can impede the development of effective services and interventions. In this article, we describe our attempts to define, determine, and recruit a purposeful sample for a qualitative study examining the interrelationships between sex workers' health and the working conditions in the Vancouver off-street sex industry. Detailed is our application of ethnographic mapping approaches to generate information about population diversity and work settings within distinct geographical boundaries. Bearing in mind the challenges and the overwhelming discrimination sex workers experience, we scope recommendations for safe and effective purposeful sampling inclusive of sex workers' heterogeneity. © The Author(s) 2015.

Surviving oppression under the rock: the intersection of New York's drug, welfare, and educational polices in the lived experiences of low-income African Americans.

PubMed

Windsor, Liliane Cambraia; Dunlap, Eloise; Armour, Marilyn

2012-01-01

Drawing on standpoint and intersectionality theories, this study explores the degree to which interactions among New York State's Rockefeller Drug Laws and educational and welfare policies have contributed to the maintenance of a culture of surveillance in which the lives of impoverished African Americans are overseen and influenced by oppressive policies and governmental institutions. Qualitative secondary analysis of longitudinal ethnographic data was conducted. Findings demonstrate multiple disadvantages that impoverished African American families struggling with substance use or sale experience. These disadvantages accumulated intergenerationally, in a snowball effect, making it difficult for participants to maintain stable lives. Findings explored the tension between participants' lived experiences and the multiple ways they either assimilated or resisted their oppression. New sensitive policies informed by standpoint, intersectionality, and Afrocentric perspectives must be developed to increase the availability of meaningful employment and strengthening impoverished African American communities.

Lived Religion as Reproductive Decision-Making Resource Among Romanian Women Who Use Abortion as Contraception.

PubMed

Pop, Cristina A

2017-05-30

This article draws upon qualitative ethnographic data collected between 2005 and 2013 in southern Romania among women who have been consistently using abortion as a contraceptive method. It particularly considers the role that lived religion might have played in some individuals' strategies to render abortion a justifiable practice. Over the last seven decades, Romanian women's experiences of abortion have often been at odds with both secular and religious regulations. This study shifts the perspective from the biopolitics and the bioethics of abortion toward women's own reproductive decision-making strategies in a context of enduring traditional patriarchy. It explores the fluid and pragmatic ways in which some Romanians use the notions of "God's will," "sin," "redemption," "afterlife," and "Godparenting" to redefine abortion as a partially disembodied reproductive event. As a reproductive decision-making resource, lived religion empowers women to navigate the lived complexities of conception and contraception.

Strategies for Obtaining Access to Secretive or Guarded Organizations

PubMed Central

Monahan, Torin; Fisher, Jill A.

2015-01-01

Establishing contacts and gaining permission to conduct ethnographic or qualitative research can be time-consuming and stressful processes. Gaining access can be especially challenging when representatives of prospective research sites see their work as being sensitive and would prefer to avoid outside scrutiny altogether. One result of this dynamic is that many organizations that exert a profound influence in governing populations and regulating individuals’ access to basic needs are relatively invisible to the public and shielded from meaningful public accountability. Therefore, it is vital to effectively study secretive or guarded organizations and fill out the empirical record, which in turn could create the conditions for greater public awareness and debate. To that end, this paper draws on our collective research experience and the scholarship of others to present nine strategies that we have found to be especially effective for securing access to secretive organizations. PMID:26688613

The health meanings and practices of older Greek-Canadian widows.

PubMed

Rosenbaum, J N

1991-11-01

Folk health and illness beliefs and practices were abstracted from a large-scale study of older Greek-Canadian widows conceptualized within Leininger's theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality using ethnographic, ethnonursing, and life health-care history methods. Data were collected using observation-participation and interviews in three Greek-Canadian communities with 12 widowed key informants and 30 general informants. Interview inquiry guides, Leininger's Life History Health Care Protocol, and field journal recordings assisted data collection. Data were analysed using Leininger's phases of analysis for qualitative data. A major health theme which was abstracted from the raw data and patterns was: health for Greek-Canadian widows meant a state of well-being, ability to perform daily role activities, and avoidance of pain and illness. The findings, which also included folk health care and illness beliefs and practices, will stimulate future nursing research related to health and nursing care of people of diverse cultures.

Native American nurse leadership.

PubMed

Nichols, Lee A

2004-07-01

To identify which characteristics, wisdom, and skills are essential in becoming an effective Native American nurse leader. This will lead to the development of a curriculum suitable for Native American nurses. A qualitative, descriptive design was used for this study. Focus groups were conducted in Polson, Montana. A total of 67 Native and non-Native nurses participated. Sixty-seven percent of them were members of Indian tribes. Data were content analyzed using Spradley's ethnographic methodology. Three domains of analysis emerged: point of reference for the leader (individual, family, community), what a leader is (self-actualized, wise, experienced, political, bicultural, recognized, quiet presence, humble, spiritual, and visionary), and what a leader does (mentors, role models, communicates, listens, demonstrates values, mobilizes, and inspires). Native nurse leaders lead differently. Thus, a leadership curriculum suitable for Native nurses may lead to increased work productivity and therefore improved patient care for Native Americans.

Education and Training for Young People at Risk of Becoming NEET: Findings from an Ethnographic Study of Work-Based Learning Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Robin; Thompson, Ron

2011-01-01

This report provides a summary of findings from an ethnographic study of work-based learning provision for 16-18-year-olds who would otherwise fall into the UK Government category of not in education, employment or training (NEET). The research project took place in the north of England during 2008-2009, and investigated the biographies,…

The Meanings of Outdoor Physical Activity for Parentally Bereaved Young People in the United Kingdom: Insights from an Ethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Joanne; Sparkes, Andrew C.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore the meanings of outdoor physical activity in the natural environment for parentally-bereaved young people. It draws on data generated from a two-year ethnographic study that focused on the experiences of those involved with the Rocky Centre, a childhood bereavement service in the UK. Data was collected via…

"Confessing to Wilful Disobedience": An Ethnographic Study of Deaf People's Experience of Catholic Religious Schooling in the Republic of Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connell, Noel Patrick

2018-01-01

This ethnographic study examines deaf people's experience of the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Confession in two Catholic schools for deaf children in the Republic of Ireland from 1950 to 1990. The article fills a gap in Catholic deaf education literature that fails to uncover the experiences of deaf children. It provides space for their storied…

The application of Signalling Theory to health-related trust problems: The example of herbal clinics in Ghana and Tanzania.

PubMed

Hampshire, Kate; Hamill, Heather; Mariwah, Simon; Mwanga, Joseph; Amoako-Sakyi, Daniel

2017-09-01

In contexts where healthcare regulation is weak and levels of uncertainty high, how do patients decide whom and what to trust? In this paper, we explore the potential for using Signalling Theory (ST, a form of Behavioural Game Theory) to investigate health-related trust problems under conditions of uncertainty, using the empirical example of 'herbal clinics' in Ghana and Tanzania. Qualitative, ethnographic fieldwork was conducted over an eight-month period (2015-2016) in eight herbal clinics in Ghana and ten in Tanzania, including semi-structured interviews with herbalists (N = 18) and patients (N = 68), plus detailed ethnographic observations and twenty additional key informant interviews. The data were used to explore four ST-derived predictions, relating to herbalists' strategic communication ('signalling') of their trustworthiness to patients, and patients' interpretation of those signals. Signalling Theory is shown to provide a useful analytical framework, allowing us to go beyond the primary trust problem addressed by other researchers - cataloguing observable indicators of trustworthiness - and providing tools for tackling the trickier secondary trust problem, where the trustworthiness of those indicators must be ascertained. Signalling Theory also enables a basis for comparative work between different empirical contexts that share the underlying condition of uncertainty. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Foul wind, spirits and witchcraft: illness conceptions and health-seeking behaviour for malaria in the Gambia.

PubMed

O'Neill, Sarah; Gryseels, Charlotte; Dierickx, Susan; Mwesigwa, Julia; Okebe, Joseph; d'Alessandro, Umberto; Peeters Grietens, Koen

2015-04-24

As the disease burden in the Gambia has reduced considerably over the last decade, heterogeneity in malaria transmission has become more marked, with infected but asymptomatic individuals maintaining the reservoir. The identification, timely diagnosis and treatment of malaria-infected individuals are crucial to further reduce or eliminate the human parasite reservoir. This ethnographic study focused on the relationship between local beliefs of the cause of malaria and treatment itineraries of suspected cases. An ethnographic qualitative study was conducted in twelve rural communities in the Upper River Region and the Central River Region in the Gambia. The data collection methods included in-depth interviews, participant observation, informal conversations, and focus group discussions. While at first glance, the majority of people seek biomedical treatment for 'malaria', there are several constraints to seeking treatment at health centres. Certain folk illnesses, such as Jontinooje and Kajeje, translated and interpreted as 'malaria' by healthcare professionals, are often not considered to be malaria by local populations but rather as self-limiting febrile illnesses--consequently not leading to seeking care in the biomedical sector. Furthermore, respondents reported delaying treatment at a health centre while seeking financial resources, and consequently relying on herbal treatments. In addition, when malaria cases present symptoms, such as convulsions, hallucinations and/or loss of consciousness, the illness is often interpreted as having a supernatural aetiology, leading to diagnosis and treatment by traditional healers. Although malaria diagnostics and treatment-seeking in the biomedical sector has been reported to be relatively high in the Gambia compared to other sub-Saharan African countries, local symptom interpretation and illness conceptions can delay or stop people from seeking timely biomedical treatment, which may contribute to maintaining a parasite reservoir of undiagnosed and untreated malaria patients.

A focused ethnographic assessment of Middle Eastern mothers' infant feeding practices in Canada.

PubMed

Jessri, Mahsa; Farmer, Anna P; Olson, Karin

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the barriers to following complementary feeding guidelines among Middle Eastern mothers and the cultural considerations of practitioners from an emic perspective. This is a two-phase focused ethnographic assessment of infant feeding among 22 Middle Eastern mothers in Western Canada who had healthy infants aged <1 year. Data were collected through four focus groups conducted in Arabic/Farsi, and were further complemented by comprehensive survey data collected in the second phase of study. Mothers' main criterion for choosing infant foods was whether or not foods were Halal, while food allergens were not causes for concern. Vitamin D supplements were not fed to 18/22 of infants, and mashed dates (Halawi), rice pudding (Muhallabia/Ferni) and sugared water/tea were the first complementary foods commonly consumed. Through constant comparison of qualitative data, three layers of influence emerged, which described mothers' process of infant feeding: socio-cultural, health care system and personal factors. Culture was an umbrella theme influencing all aspects of infant feeding decisions. Mothers cited health care professionals' lack of cultural considerations and lack of relevance and practicality of infant feeding guidelines as the main reasons for ignoring infant feeding recommendations. Early introduction of pre-lacteal feeds and inappropriate types of foods fed to infants among immigrant/refugee Middle Eastern mothers in Canada is cause of concern. Involving trained language interpreters in health teams and educating health care staff on cultural competency may potentially increase maternal trust in the health care system and eventually lead to increased awareness of and adherence to best practices with infant feeding recommendations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Emotional Testimonies: An Ethnographic Study of Emotional Suffering Related to Migration from Mexico to Arizona

PubMed Central

Crocker, Rebecca

2015-01-01

It is increasingly argued that social and economic inequities poorly affect overall health. One of the means through which these inequities are translated to the body is via negative emotions, which carry known psychological and physiological responses. This paper examines migration-related psychosocial stressors impacting first-generation Mexican immigrants in southern Arizona, and reports on the primary emotional experiences immigrants associate with these stressors. Data were drawn from a qualitative, ethnographic study conducted over the course of 14 months during 2013–2014 with first-generation Mexican immigrants (N = 40) residing in Tucson Arizona and service providers working directly in the immigrant community (N = 32). Results indicate that the primary structural vulnerabilities that cause emotional hardship among immigrants are pre-migration stressors and adversity, dangerous border crossings, detention and deportation, undocumented citizenship status, family separation, and extreme poverty. Many of these factors have intensified over the past decade due to increased border security and state level anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona. Immigrants connected these hardships to the emotions of trauma (50%), fear (65%), depression (75%), loneliness (75%), sadness (80%), and stress (85%), and most respondents reported suffering from three or more of these emotions. Given the heavy emotional toll of migration and the direct impact that regional legislation and border security had on well-being, this paper argues that emotion be considered an important mechanism for health declines in the immigrant community. In order to stem the frequency and intensity of emotional stress in the Mexican immigrant community in Tucson, it is imperative to support organizations and policies that promote community building and support networks and also expand access to and availability of mental health services for immigrants regardless of documentation status. PMID:26217657

Immunization Coverage and Medicaid Managed Care in New Mexico: A Multimethod Assessment

PubMed Central

Schillaci, Michael A.; Waitzkin, Howard; Carson, E. Ann; López, Cynthia M.; Boehm, Deborah A.; López, Leslie A.; Mahoney, Sheila F.

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND We wanted to examine the association between Medicaid managed care (MMC) and changing immunization coverage in New Mexico, a predominantly rural, poor, and multiethnic state. METHODS As part of a multimethod assessment of MMC, we studied trends in quantitative data from the National Immunization Survey (NIS) using temporal plots, Fisher’s exact test, and the Cochran-Armitage trend test. To help explain changes in immunization rates in relation to MMC, we analyzed qualitative data gathered through ethnographic observations at safety net institutions: income support (welfare) offices, community health centers, hospital emergency departments, private physicians’ offices, mental health institutions, managed care organizations, and agencies of state government. RESULTS Immunization coverage decreased significantly after implementation of MMC, from 80% in 1996 to 73% in 2001 for the 4:3:1 vaccination series (Fisher’s exact test, P = .031). New Mexico dropped in rank among states from 30th for this vaccination series in 1996 to 50th in 2001. A significant decreasing trend (Cochran-Armitage P = .025) in coverage occurred between 1996 and 2001. Findings from the ethnographic study revealed conditions that might have contributed to decreased immunization coverage: (1) reduced funding for immunizations at public health clinics, and difficulties in gaining access to MMC providers; (2) informal referrals from managed care organizations and contracting physicians to community health centers and state-run public health clinics; and (3) increased workloads and delays at community health centers, linked partly to these informal referrals for immunizations. CONCLUSIONS Medicaid reform in New Mexico did not improve immunization coverage, which declined significantly to among the lowest in the nation. Reduced funding for public health clinics and informal referrals may have contributed to this decline. These observations show how unanticipated and adverse consequences can result from policy interventions in complex insurance systems. PMID:15053278

Extending the Framework of Generativity Theory Through Research: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, Robert L.; Girling, Laura M.; de Medeiros, Kate; Brazda, Michael; Hannum, Susan

2015-01-01

Purpose of the study: Based on ethnographic interviews, we discuss three ideas we believe will expand knowledge of older informants’ thoughts about and representations of generativity. We adapt the notion of “dividuality” as developed in cultural anthropology to reframe ideas on generativity. The term dividuality refers to a condition of interpersonal or intergenerational connectedness, as distinct from individuality. We also extend previous definitions of generativity by identifying both objects of generative action and temporal and relational frameworks for generative action. Design: We define 4 foci of generativity (people, groups, things, and activities) and 4 spheres of generativity (historical, familial, individual, and relational) based in American culture and with which older informants could easily identify. The approach outlined here also discusses a form of generativity oriented to the past in which relationships with persons in senior generations form a kind of generative action since they are involved in caring for the origins of the self and hence of future generative acts. These 3 elements of a new framework will allow researchers to pose critical questions about generativity among older adults. Such questions include (a) How is the self, as culturally constituted, involved in generative action? and (b) What are the types of generativity within the context of American culture and how are they spoken about? Each of the above points is directly addressed in the data we present below. Methods: We defined these domains through extended ethnographic interviews with 200 older women. Results and implications: The article addresses some new ways of thinking about generativity as a construct, which may be useful in understanding the cultural personhood of older Americans. PMID:24704718

Ethnographic analysis on the use of the electronic medical record for clinical handoff.

PubMed

Nelson, Philippa; Bell, Anthony J; Nathanson, Larry; Sanchez, Leon D; Fisher, Jonathan; Anderson, Philip D

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to understand the social elements of clinical and organizational interactions of the key stakeholders in the specific context of an electronic dashboard used by the emergency department (ED) and inpatient medicine teams at the time of clinical referral and handover. An electronic handover function is utilised at the ED-inpatient interface at this institution and has given clinicians the ability to better communicate, monitor the department and strive to improve patient safety in streamline the delivery of care in the acute phase. This study uses an ethnographic qualitative research design incorporating semistructured interviews, participant observation on the ED floor and fieldwork notes. The setting for this research was in the ED at a tertiary University affiliated hospital. Triangulation was used to combine information obtained from multiple sources and information from fieldwork and interviews refined into useable chunks culminating in a thematic analysis. Thematic analysis yielded five central themes that reflected how the clinical staff utilised this IT system and why it had become embedded in the culture of clinical referral and handover. Efficient time management for improved patient flow was demonstrated, value added communication (at the interpersonal level), the building trust at the ED-inpatient interface, the maintenance of mutual respect across medical cultures and an overall enhancement of the quality of ED communication (in terms of the information available). A robust electronic handover process, resulted in an integrated approach to patient care by removing barriers to admission for medical inpatients, admitted via ED. The value proposition for patients was a more complete information transfer, both within the ED and between departments.

Among neighbors: an ethnographic account of responsibilities in rural palliative care.

PubMed

Pesut, Barbara; Robinson, Carole A; Bottorff, Joan L

2014-04-01

Building high quality palliative care in rural areas must take into account the cultural dimensions of the rural context. The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct an exploration of rural palliative care, with a particular focus on the responsibilities that support good palliative care from rural participants' perspectives. This ethnographic study was conducted in four rural communities in Western Canada between June 2009 and September 2010. Data included 51 days of field work, 95 semistructured interviews, and 74 hours of direct participant observation. Thematic analysis was used to provide a descriptive account of rural palliative care responsibilities. Findings focus on the complex web of responsibilities involving family, healthcare professionals, and administrators. Family practices of responsibility included provision of direct care, managing and coordinating care, and advocacy. Healthcare professional practices of responsibility consisted of interpreting their own competency in relation to palliative care, negotiating their role in relation to that interpretation, and individualizing care through a bureaucratic system. Administrators had three primary responsibilities in relation to palliative care delivery in their community: navigating the politics of palliative care, understanding the culture of the community, and communicating with the community. Findings provide important insights into the complex ways rurality influences understandings of responsibility in palliative care. Families, healthcare providers, and administrators work together in fluid ways to support high quality palliative care in their communities. However, the very fluidity of these responsibilities can also work against high quality care, and are easily disrupted by healthcare changes. Proposed healthcare policy and practice changes, particularly those that originate from outside of the community, should undergo a careful analysis of their potential impact on the longstanding negotiated responsibilities.

Design and integration of ethnography within an international behavior change HIV/sexually transmitted disease prevention trial

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Objective To use a common ethnographic study protocol across five countries to provide data to confirm social and risk settings and risk behaviors, develop the assessment instruments, tailor the intervention, design a process evaluation of the intervention, and design an understandable informed consent process. Design Methods determined best for capturing the core data elements were selected. Standards for data collection methods were established to enable comparable implementation of the ethnographic study across the five countries. Methods The methods selected were participant observation, focus groups, open-ended interviews, and social mapping. Standards included adhering to core data elements, number of participants, mode of data collection, type of data collection instrument, number of data collectors at each type of activity, duration of each type of activity, and type of informed consent administered. Sites had discretion in selecting which methods to use to obtain specific data. Results The ethnographic studies provided input to the Trial’s methods for data collection, described social groups in the target communities, depicted sexual practices, and determined core opinion leader characteristics; thus providing information that drove the adaptation of the intervention and facilitated the selection of venues, behavioral outcomes, and community popular opinion leaders (C-POLs). Conclusion The described rapid ethnographic approach worked well across the five countries, where findings allowed local adaptation of the intervention. When introducing the C-POL intervention in new areas, local non-governmental and governmental community and health workers can use this rapid ethnographic approach to identify the communities, social groups, messages, and C-POLs best suited for local implementation. PMID:17413263

Social and Cultural Factors Affecting Uptake of Interventions for Malaria in Pregnancy in Africa: A Systematic Review of the Qualitative Research

PubMed Central

Pell, Christopher; Straus, Lianne; Andrew, Erin V. W.; Meñaca, Arantza; Pool, Robert

2011-01-01

Background Malaria during pregnancy (MiP) results in adverse birth outcomes and poor maternal health. MiP-related morbidity and mortality is most pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where recommended MiP interventions include intermittent preventive treatment, insecticide-treated bednets and appropriate case management. Besides their clinical efficacy, the effectiveness of these interventions depends on the attitudes and behaviours of pregnant women and the wider community, which are shaped by social and cultural factors. Although these factors have been studied largely using quantitative methods, qualitative research also offers important insights. This article provides a comprehensive overview of qualitative research on social and cultural factors relevant to uptake of MiP interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods and Findings A systematic search strategy was employed: literature searches were undertaken in several databases (OVID SP, IS Web of Knowledge, MiP Consortium library). MiP-related original research, on social/cultural factors relevant to MiP interventions, in Africa, with findings derived from qualitative methods was included. Non-English language articles were excluded. A meta-ethnographic approach was taken to analysing and synthesizing findings. Thirty-seven studies were identified. Fourteen concentrated on MiP. Others focused on malaria treatment and prevention, antenatal care (ANC), anaemia during pregnancy or reproductive loss. Themes identified included concepts of malaria and risk in pregnancy, attitudes towards interventions, structural factors affecting delivery and uptake, and perceptions of ANC. Conclusions Although malaria risk is associated with pregnancy, women's vulnerability is often considered less disease-specific and MiP interpreted in locally defined categories. Furthermore, local discourses and health workers' ideas and comments influence concerns about MiP interventions. Understandings of ANC, health worker-client interactions, household decision-making, gender relations, cost and distance to health facilities affect pregnant women's access to MiP interventions and lack of healthcare infrastructure limits provision of interventions. Further qualitative research is however required: many studies were principally descriptive and an in-depth comparative approach is recommended. PMID:21799859

When Does the Action Start and Finish? Making the Case for an Ethnographic Action Research in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bath, Caroline

2009-01-01

This paper explores how ethnographic and action research methodologies can be justifiably combined to create a new methodological approach in educational research. It draws on existing examples in both educational research and development studies that have discussed the use of ethnography and action research in specific projects. Interpretations…

Ethnographic Portraits of Veteran Teachers: Portraits of Survival and Commitment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Rosetta Marantz

This paper offers a synopsis of the findings of a full-length ethnographic study which dealt with the phenomenon of the strong, veteran teacher who has succeeded in remaining enthusiastic over the course of a 30-year career. Subjects were five secondary school teachers of varied ethnic backgrounds representing a range of disciplines and teaching…

A Proposed Theory of School Librarian Leadership: A Meta-Ethnographic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Everhart, Nancy; Johnston, Melissa P.

2016-01-01

This paper uses a meta-ethnographic approach to examine a core body of research conducted primarily by one iSchool research center that has bolstered its curriculum in support of school librarian leadership in the past decade. Substantive studies, conducted by faculty and doctoral students, have focused on various phases of leadership from…

Understanding Teacher Identity from a Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Two Ethnographic Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smit, Brigitte; Fritz, Elzette

2008-01-01

In this ethnographic inquiry we portray two teacher narratives reflecting educational change in the context of two South African schools. The study was conducted as part of a larger inquiry into ten schools in urban South Africa. A decade of democracy begs some attention to educational progress and reform, from the viewpoint of teachers and with…

An Ethnographic Intervention Using the Five Characteristics of Effective Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patahuddin, Sitti Maesuri

2010-01-01

This paper is aimed to describe an ethnographic intervention study of supporting a Low Use Internet (LUI) teacher to use the Internet for his professional development. Five characteristics of effective professional development were identified and applied. This description is followed by a reflection on the process to get a deeper insight about…

Generating Ethnographic Research Questions: An Anthropological Contribution to the Study of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friberg, Torbjörn

2016-01-01

As part of recent complex transformations, it seems that higher educational organisations are being forced to reorganise, standardise and streamline in order to survive in the new political and economic context. How are ethnographers in general going to approach these contemporary phenomena? By drawing on the conceptual history of anthropology,…

Challenging Segregational Practices in a Spanish Secondary School: Results from an Ethnographic Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez-Valero, Joan-Anton; Padilla-Petry, Paulo

2016-01-01

This article presents partial results of a multi-sited ethnographic study about the role of multiple literacies in young people's learning in and outside school. In one of the five participant secondary schools, fourth grade students were segregated in groups according to their special needs. We start with a critical review on segregated and…