ETHNOGRAPHY

The historic use of ethnography raises ethical questions that are important to note. Early anthropological ethnography was generally used in missionary and colonial purposes. Early projects were often associated with imperialist tendencies and the 'othering' of humans, sadly this resulted at dehumanisation at times. Some researchers have asked if because of this, use of ethnography in the present must inevitably be an act of apology and grief for the shamefulness of what ethnography was in the past? As a result, ethnographers in the present seek to reflexively offset colonial modes of research by engaging research participants as dialogic partners in projects initiated by the researcher (Kendall & Thangaraj, 2012).

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Most ethical issues that are noted her apply to social research in general, however there are particular aspects of ethnographic research that are noted. In regards to the writing of ethnography, there are two central ethical focal points. Firstly is the protection of participant privacy. Secondly is the transparency to the reader. These two ethical foci are often at odds with one another.

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• CONSENT: Protection of participants begins with informed consent. This involves people being researched in an unconstrained manner as well as make their decision based on comprehensive and accurate information. They should also be free to withdraw at any time (Hammersley & Atkinson, 2007).

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• PROTECTION: Participant protections must be adhered to as approved and directed by the Institutional Review Board. While these protections may vary by institution, generally this means people who participate in research projects are afforded a strict right to privacy.

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• ACCURACY: This protection of participants is often balanced with the duty to present accurate and honest accounts of what happens on the field of research. This is the delicate balance that the ethnographer seeks to find in their work. Essentially, any characteristic not directly relevant to the research can be changed in order to protect someone's identity.

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• HARM: Of significance to the ethics of ethnography is the issue of harm. The protection of participants from harm is the first purpose of the American Anthropological Associations original ethics code in 1971. The process of doing the research or the findings of the research can sometimes result in harm of the participants. At the very least, the process of being researched can result in anxiety for both the researcher and the subject (Murchison, 2009).

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