ARCHIVES
VOL. 12, ISSUE 2 (2026)
Conceptualising ethnography: History, process, and contestation
Authors
Fancy Jamatia
Abstract
Ethnography, as a qualitative research method, was used by earlier
anthropologists (as well as colonial administrative agents) and has often been
contested by post-colonial or contemporary ethnographers, especially in terms
of techniques and styles, which, in turn, led to new ways of doing ethnography
that are distinctive from the former. A more radical discourse concerns the
insider-outsider debate in contemporary times. In this context, this paper used
discourse analysis to examine how ethnography, a celebrated method for data
collection and interpretation among anthropologists, was later critiqued by
post-colonial or contemporary ethnographers and moved away from the former
techniques and styles of doing ethnography. It first traces the history of
ethnography, its techniques and styles, and how it is contested and shifts over
time, if not completely, because the former ethnographic tradition is still
seen as having been perpetuated in contemporary ethnographic research, though
it is changing. It combines discourses from various ethnographers that address
issues ranging from how to make field entry, build relationships with the
community/participants, and record data, to how to translate text, engage in
self-negotiation, and navigate insider-outsider debates.
Download
Pages:132-137
How to cite this article:
Fancy Jamatia "Conceptualising ethnography: History, process, and contestation". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, Vol 12, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 132-137
Download Author Certificate
Please enter the email address corresponding to this article submission to download your certificate.