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 About Context : What is Ethnography?
We're often asked the question: "What, exactly, is ethnography?" The term has taken on many different meanings over the past few years. However, we're partial to its original meaning:

Very simply, ethnography is the research approach used by cultural anthropologists when studying groups of people. It involves four key tenets:
  • Participant Observation. Ethnographers spend time with people as they go about their daily lives, learning how they live by actually doing what they do.

  • Natural Setting. Ethnography is conducted in the space where participants actually live, work and play, not in a separate research facility.

  • In Their Own Words. Ethnography research findings are delivered in the words of the participants, using their language and intonation.

  • Holism. People's actions and thoughts are influenced, directly or indirectly, by absolutely everything in their lives. Ethnographers stay open to all potential connections.
Ethnographers use many different research methods to gain insight into people, but always come back to these four core ideas.




About Context Consumer Insights

Context Consumer Insights provides a lens into consumer behavior based on our ethnographic research. This year, we cover the Grounded Consumer. We will identify key pieces that comprise this insight, illustrate examples from the marketplace and offer recommendations on what to do with this information from a marketing and product development standpoint.

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