Real Ethnography vs. Fake Ethnography
// November 13th, 2008 // Video
By Aviva Rosenstein, Ph.D.
Is it a method, a process, a discipline or a literary genre? Cultural anthropologists want you to know that you’re probably not doing “real ethnography” in design research — does that make your research findings less valid? I’ll talk about the difference between “fake” and “real” ethnography, connections between user research and ethnography, and why “doing it wrong” in the field may be the right thing to do for your users, your clients, and your organization.
3 Responses to “Real Ethnography vs. Fake Ethnography”
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thanks aviva!
I found it interesting that you used a hooky title to capture a researcher’s interest whereas you’re not an “ethnography” yourself’; furthermore you mention that others use the “ethnography” word without integrity to create a catchy headline (a la business week.) I don’t get how you are any different.
[...] ideally you watch them. In usability, we used to talk about anthropological methods or ethnography (real or ‘fake’), and contextual and partipatory inquiry. You’ve got to really get to know the problem to [...]