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Objectivity and subjectivity in the ethnographic method.

Allan Hegelund1

  • 1Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Danish Research Institute of Food Economics, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

Qualitative Health Research
|April 2, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Subjectivity in ethnographic research is inevitable, stemming from the researcher's perspective. While objectivity is relative, the chosen perspective must prove effective in understanding lived realities, refining traditional notions of truth.

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Area of Science:

  • Ethnographic Theory and Research

Background:

  • Traditional concepts of objectivity and subjectivity in ethnographic research.
  • The evolving understanding of objectivity as relative to a given perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the application and implications of objectivity and subjectivity in ethnographic theory.
  • To determine the centrality and inevitability of researcher perspective in ethnography.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of ethnographic theory and research practices.
  • Discussion of the role of applied perspectives in understanding lived realities.

Main Results:

  • The inherent subjectivity arising from a researcher's applied perspective is central and unavoidable in ethnography.
  • The effectiveness of an applied perspective is evaluated against competing paradigms for understanding reality.

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  • In certain contexts, a direct correspondence between language and reality can serve as an acceptable truth.

    • Conclusions:

    • Objectivity and subjectivity retain functional importance in ethnographic discourse, albeit with refined meanings.
    • A consensus on objective and subjective elements can emerge when no alternative perspectives are fruitful.
    • The study advocates for a nuanced conceptualization of objectivity and subjectivity in ethnographic research.