Question

Why do ethnographers need to be concerned about the ways in which individuals and groups are represented and discussed in their ethnographies? Why is it a problem if ethnographers see themselves as superior to the group that they are studying?

Answer 1

This is a great question. The goal of ethnography is to truly understand the perspective of the community or group that a person is studying. Thus, the researcher is not trying to convey their own thoughts about the group but the actual thoughts of the group. If ethnographers see themselves as superior to the group they're studying they may make assumptions that are not actually accurate representations of the group.