Ethnography and the Children’s Village

Ethnography is a genre of writing that presents varying degrees of qualitative and quantitative descriptions of human social phenomena that is based on fieldwork. Ethnography presents results of holistic research methods founded on the idea that system's properties cannot necessarily be accurately understood independently of each other. In academic traditions, the constructivist and relativist paradigms employ ethnographic research as a crucial research method. Since ethnography is the branch of anthropology that deals with the scientific description of specific human cultures.

Contemporary ethnography, which is the focal point of this paper, is based almost entirely on fieldwork. Ethnographies are written in many styles and in many formats. A typical ethnography describes the history of the group, the geography of the location, kinship patterns, symbols, politics, economic systems, educational or socialization systems, and the degree of contact between the target culture and the mainstream culture. Specialized ethnographies may focus on specific elements of socialization of the young or the role of a significant person such as the principal.

Ethnographers live among the people who are the subject of study for a year or more. They learn the local language and participate in everyday life while striving to maintain a degree of objective detachment. They usually cultivate close relationships with the "informants" who can provide specific information on aspects of cultural life. While detailed written notes are the mainstay of fieldwork, ethnographers may also use tape recorders, cameras, or video recorders. Contemporary ethnographies have both influenced and been influenced by literary theory. Lets start now by creating the scene.

I want to study the process of interaction at a health clinic at a hospital. First I obtain a list of health clinics in the United States. Because of my school schedule, I must remain in the immediate vicinity and stay local. I examined several aspects of the clinics, including the demographics of the clinic administrators, staff, and whatever information is available about each one. A few told me "we are sorry but we don't want our clinic to be studied right now." After being rejected a few times, I selected the Presbyterian Children's Village because it promotes the healing of the spirits of children, families and communities broken by violence, addiction, poverty, mental illness, racism and other societal problems. I present a proposal to the clinic that I want to write they accept a report about one of their main social rooms and it! I am being allowed to study the Presbyterian Children's Village for the next several months.

In my observation I want to examine some of the following variables; time spent talking between clients (children and families) and staff; time spent talking among staff; 
time spent talking between staff and administrators; time spent in the staff lounge; interaction among children and other children; and children interaction with their families. I plan to also spend time waiting in the waiting room, talking with clients about their experiences at the Village. Through this process I will take extensive field notes and examine the actions of the individuals. She also plans to examine a sample of client records, do in-depth interviews with clients, staff, and administrators, and ascertain how well both clients and staff follow-up on medical care.

My first act of preparing for my main ethnography report is my observation in the waiting room. As soon as I sat down to prepare myself to take notes I noticed that there were two sections of the room. One side of the room was for children who were alone in foster care and one for well children and their biological families. I asked a young girl why she liked it here and she stated that health care services were the most useful to them, because her family could no longer afford to go to her old doctor. A major theme that I used in the interview questions and observations with the youth and the clinic was of the importance of cultural competency of providers, and how providers could tailor their health care advice and interventions to the realities of life for the people they help.

An additional cultural aspect of this health care clinic I observed was that most that the doctors were very understanding with the patients and their families. Many talked of how difficult it was to be homeless and take care of themselves, and how they had histories of conflict-laden relationships with various people in their lives. The PCV also provides counsuling people with past problems such as abuse and addiction. The doctors pointed out that their patients past lives and present circumstances made it difficult for them to be able to trust other people, including health care providers. I saw one young discussed with his doctor, “Some