ETHNOGRAPHY IN ASIA
From Greek ethnos, "folk" + grapho, "to write," doing ethnography involves writing about people, societies, and cultures. It is a qualitative, rather than a quantitative, type of research. One does ethnography, and thus it's a process. But an ethnography is also a product: the outcome of the ethnographic process is an ethnography. In-depth studies and discussions of classic and contemporary ethnographies in multiple Asian contexts that focus on themes like religion, health, economics, and sexuality in writing, photography, and film at once illustrate various methods involved in doing ethnography and illuminate why scholars have for decades studied and represented Asia through ethnography. The methods of ethnography are never divorced from the motivations of the scholars, and thus it is crucial to probe critically and collectively what ethnography is (theory), how it is done (practice), and why is it worth doing generally and in Asian contexts in particular.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Senior standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Social & Behavioral Science Breadth - Humanities or Social Science Level - Advanced L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Report on how the practice of ethnography relates to research agendas. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Understand how the craft of ethnography impacts the study and articulation of “Asia” as a place and an idea. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Reflect on ethnography in writing. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Learn how to identify and analyze visual ethnographies in filmmaking and photography. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Relate the history, practice, and production of ethnography to particular courses of study (i.e., majors and certificates) and, if applicable, to senior theses and/or final projects. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Demonstrate how the practice and production of ethnography relates to specific disciplines and, if applicable, to dissertation projects. Audience: Graduate 7. Articulate how the history, practice, and production of ethnography relates to prior research and experience “on the ground” in Asia. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Report on how the practice of ethnography relates to research agendas. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Understand how the craft of ethnography impacts the study and articulation of “Asia” as a place and an idea. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Reflect on ethnography in writing. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Learn how to identify and analyze visual ethnographies in filmmaking and photography. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Relate the history, practice, and production of ethnography to particular courses of study (i.e., majors and certificates) and, if applicable, to senior theses and/or final projects. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Demonstrate how the practice and production of ethnography relates to specific disciplines and, if applicable, to dissertation projects. Audience: Graduate 7. Articulate how the history, practice, and production of ethnography relates to prior research and experience “on the ground” in Asia. Audience: Graduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027