two west culture field book

8/9/2019 Two West Culture Field Book

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FIELDBOOK

2010

discovery + design


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WHAT IS ETHNOGRAPHY?

Both a methodology and a product of research, ethnography is

a grounded, inductive method, that heavily relies on participant-

observation. These days, the term ethnography is used fairly loosely

and expectations and nal outcomes vary as much as the people

calling themselves ethnographers.

It meets people where the action occurs

It is inductive

It does not go into the eld with answers running

It is focused on systems, practices, and beliefs

Everything is data

It is focused for business objectives

It is best done in teams

It uses culture and shared knowledge as the center of investigation

WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?

In a nutshell, anthropology is the study of all that it means to be

human and the cultural context within which we l ive. In essence,

anthropology answers the question:

Whatdoesitmeantobehuman?"

It's the scientic study of humankind; from species origins throughdevelopment to modern day (including the mall, boardrooms,

and ofces).

Anthropology encompasses a holistic view of a person and

their environment by blending sociology, linguistics, biology

and psychology into a more complete picture. As with all social

sciences, it embraces an inductive approach to understanding

and starts from a cultural perspective.

Anthropology is also comparative and cross-cultural.It is a comparative eld in that it examines all societies, ancient and

modern; simple and complex. It systematically compares data from

different populations and time periods. However, the other social

sciences tend to focus on a single society whereas anthropology

offers a unique cross-cultural perspective by constantly comparing

the customs of one society with those of others.

ANTHROPOLOGY & CULTURE

Everything begins with culture.

Culture is a set of shared, learned beliefs, values, norms, traditions

and taboos.

Every purchase decision is made within the cultural context:

Geographic culture (Indian, American, NorCal, Silicon Valley)

Industry culture (engineers, product managers, nurses, taxi drivers)

Company culture (Microsoft, Yahoo, P&G, Harley Davidson)

Lifestyle culture (surfer, emo, techie, biker, neat-freak)

Religious culture (Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic, Atheist)


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INDUCTIVE METHODS INDUCTIVE METHODS

THE INDUCTIVE APPROACH

Begins with specic things - observations or discussion with informants.

Based on the accumulation of observation, you may want to build ageneral idea on that observation.

Inductive reasoning moves from specic observations to broader

generalizations and theories.

Start with specic observations and measures, begin to detect

patterns and regularities, formulate some tentative hypotheses that

we can explore and nally develop conclusions or theories.

Inductive reasoning is more open-ended, holistic and exploratory,especially at the beginning.

Uncover the unexpected activities, intrusions, and interactions that

ultimately impact decision making, use and performance.

Attempts to understand why, not simply what.

Attempts to understand the contexts (processes) in which people live

and work.

PATTERNS

OBSERVATION

INITIAL HYPOTHESIS

THEORY


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RESOURCE FLOW

The study of the complex issues around how resources are attained,

used, repurposed and disposed of within a household or community

is calledresourceow. In essence, it is a process by which people or

companies catalog the purchase journey.

Statistically, humans are alone only a small percentage of their lives.

We exist in family units, social webs, neighborhoods, work structures

and other organizations. All resource input (salary, crops, material

goods, other captial) will inevitably be ltered directly or indirectly

by multiple individuals, including pets. This is true even for those who

live alone, except in extreme cases. For ethnography in a business

context, you should rarely concept resource ow in a 1:1 ratio.

A good way to start is to ask an individual in the group to drawrepresentations of those things in the home, ofce or community

that bring in money or goods.

Next, have them do the same - but focus on those things that take

out money or goods.

There will be debate about these representations from other

members of the group (in public and in private).

The goal is to get people talking about how the process works and

the factors inuencing it.

Make sure to document observations and diagram the resource

ow.

Try to keep any and all participants actively engaged through

discussion and cooperative diagraming. It's okay to hand your

informant your pen and paper.


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SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL NETWORKS

The old adage "no man is an island" and "nobody lives in a

vacuum" are true. We live in a complex network of relationships and

communities that shape our worldview, behavior and inuence our

daily behavior.

A social network is the socio-cultural group made up of individuals

or institutions called "nodes." These are connected by one or more

specic types of interdependency, such as profession, title, kinship,

common interest, dislike, etc. They can also be constructed around

relationships of beliefs, knowledge or power. Social webs help illustrate

the multivariate roles people play across a range of socio-cultural

strata.

Simply put, knowing a target's social network is the gateway toethnographic insight. Remember, in a social network:

Subjects and their actions are viewed as interdependent rather than

independent or autonomous units

Relational ties (linkages) between subjects are channels for resource

ow (either material or nonmaterial)

Network models focusing on individuals view the network structural

environment as providing opportunities for or constraints on individual

action

Network models conceptualize structure (social, economic, political

and so forth) as lasting patterns of relations among subjects

When conducting eldwork, it is imperative that you document,

diagram and explore a subject or group's social web. This knowledge

will help you discover motivating or inuential factors; negotiated

self-images, relationships, resource ow and the foundation for

structural/functional behavior.


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RECIPROCITY

Reciprocity is how we dene the informal exchange of goods, labor

and even ideas. Since virtually all humans live in some kind of society

and interact with others, reciprocity is fundamental to the nature of all

cultures.

Knowing and diagraming reciprocity allows the researcher to explore

the transfer of resources (resource ow) and the give-and-take of links

in a social network. There are three types of reciprocity:

Generalized reciprocity: The same as virtually uninhibited sharing

or giving. It occurs when one person shares goods or labor with

another person without expecting anything in return. What makes

this interaction "reciprocal" is the sense of satisfaction the giver feels

and the social closeness that the gift fosters. Between people whoengage in generalized reciprocity, there is a maximum amount of

trust and a minimum amount of social distance.

Balanced or Symmetrical reciprocity: Occurs when someone gives

to someone else, expecting a fair and tangible return at some

undened future date. It is a very informal system of exchange. The

expectation that the giver will be repaid is based on trust and social

consequences; that is, a "mooch" who accepts gifts and favors

without ever giving himself will nd it harder and harder to obtain

those favors. Balanced reciprocity involves a moderate amount of

trust and social distance.

Negative reciprocity: Includes what economists call barter. A person

gives goods or labor and expects to be repaid immediately with

some other goods or labor of the same value. Negative reciprocity

can involve a minimum amount of trust and a maximum social

distance - it can take place among strangers.


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GENDER, CLASS & POWER

Gender, Class and Power cant be overlooked when doing eldwork.

While these are often topics we avoid in our society, they are part of

the cultural landscape and have to be considered when capturing

data.

Power can vary from hegemony, perceived as legitimate, to the threat

of violence. Class is the relation to the means of production, especially

the right of direct access to the fruits of production. Gender is best

understood as the relations between men and women. The three

together constitute the fundamental social, economic, cultural and

political relations that determine any social system or network.

When taking in a setting and taking notes consider the following:

What roles do men and women play in the context?

How are communities divided along economic lines?

How important are racial and ethnic distinctions for the group and

how is this expressed?

How is power exercised within the group?

How do these considerations shape both the research plan and the

nal design of a product, service or message?


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DOCUMENTATION

Capturing everything in the field can be a daunting task. But there are

some basic tips that will help make the process smoother:

Write notes as soon as possible to avoid information being lost.

Capture major themes and broad ideas within 24 hours and share

them with your team.

Write down all personal details about the setting (number of people,

location, use of space, gender dynamics, product use, etc.).

Note direct quotes as well as your impressions.

Note moments that produced changes in the context of discussion.

-Achangeinstorysetting,topicortemporalshift.

Note moments that produced emotional responses.

Note or draw expressions, body language, and non-verbal

communication.

Remember, the camcorder is only one of the tools you bring to the

field. Field guides, notebooks, sketchpads and cameras are all part of

the toolkit, but more importantly, so are you.

HANDSPOSTURE

FEET

EXPRESSION ATTENTION

OTHER


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WHY THE INTERVIEW?

The interview is where you will receive a large percentage of your

information on subjects or groups. The ability to conduct a successfuland insightful interview will determine the depth of information you will

be able to collect and the and the validity of that information.

KEEP IN MIND:

Reading off a line of questions will create a barrier between the

researcher and the subject as well as produce a stale wooden

rapport.

Ask open-ended questions rather than simple yes/no queries. Dont

leadthesubject.

Questions should be clear and phrased in contextually intelligible and

appropriate language.

Its an interview, not an interrogation. Establish a rapport.

Get to know the subject(s). Ask them questions about the house,

family, life, etc. Its important for them to trust the relationship and to

be open.

Add depth with follow-up questions.

Have the subject actively demonstrate their points if possible.

-Mytruckmakesasound.=Getinthetruckandcheckitout

NON-VERBAL PROMPTS

What you do and how you interact with your subject(s) is just as

important as what you say. Body-language and signage by yoursubject(s) is also important. Make sure to pay attention to the detials

even if you're making notes. Remember:

Remove coat (coats and objects are interpreted as barriers).

Mind that your notes or camera are not directly between you and

the subject.

Maneuver subject(s) into a seated position not facing an immediate

point of egress.

The subject should feel secure, but not enclosed.

Be aware of your body language and inection.

Be observant of the body language, gesture-calls, posture, eye

movement etc. of the subject(s).

Silence is your friend.

Nodding but not saying anything will produce silence, which

the subject will often try to ll by continuing deeper into a line of

explanation or discovery.

THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW


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THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW

GENERAL INTERVIEW OUTLINE

Establish rapport

Transition to a broad category-oriented line of questioning

Transition to brand/product specic line of questioning

Focus conversation

Thank subject(s) and distribute incentive

QUESTION CATEGORIES

Self-Philosophy

- Ask the applicant about how they feel or think about a particular

topic/product.

- Examine how a change of perspective could or would change the

direction of future actions.

Leading

-Asks general questions that motivate the subject to elaborate more

on the current line of questioning or on a specic topic.

Cultural Framework

- Ask questions about how the applicant believes other people in his/

her situation would feel.

Context

- Asksabout past situations involving the topic of conversation, and

asking how the situation occurred.

- Describe setting/location.

- Log time/date

Mapping

- Diagram - mentally or on paper - how people, places or things

regarding the topic are connected

PROBE DEEPER

-How do they treat the brand/product? Is it a commodity? Is it used to

satisfy the subject or is it being purchased for someone else?

-Are there any inherent biases? Are these linked to socio-economic

status, ethnicity, religion, region, sex, age or gender?

- How does the category play into daily life or social sphere?

- What emotions or feelings are directly associated with the specic

brand/product?


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THINGS TO LOOK FOR

NORMS

Cultural norms guide good marketing, design, and development.

For example, cultures shape how people understand what is food.

While it is seen as strange to eat bugs in the West, they are a major

source of protein in many parts of the world.

Uncovering how people internalize these cultural norms gives us insight

into what makes sense and allows us to design brands that will

resonate rather than confuse or offend.

What do people wear in a given context?

How do people greet each other when meeting for the first time?

PROCESSES

How people get things done is another signicant point of investigation

for an ethnographer. It shows us how cultural roles, beliefs about what

is correct, and the order in which events take place shape interaction

with place, and tool or a brand.

What rituals accompany preparing dinner?

How do people nd their way in a retail environment?

Note all the steps in any activity described by the subject(s).

MEANING

People have to make sense of the world around them and assign

meaning to their shared lives.

Rituals, morality, cosmology, even how we choose to clean our teeth

are all endowed with meaning. For example, knowing that you wear

black to a funeral stems from associations we have between that color

and death.

How do people dene cleanliness?

How do people pray?

Ethnography uncovers not only the meaning people assign to theworld, but how that meaning comes about.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY vs. WHAT PEOPLE DO

It isnt enough to ask people questions, because what they say and

what they do arent always the same.

Look for what is going on in the physical space, look for body

language, and look for interactions between people.

People may call themselves green, but what do they drive?

Do people have a tell when asked a question?

Look for contradictions and make sure to ask people to demonstrate

what they say.


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THINGS TO LOOK FOR

HOW PEOPLE SOLVE PROBLEMS

Look for ways people adapt things to solve problems in unusual

ways. For example, using stickers on cell phones to tag whatbelongs to them.

Look for the tools people use to accomplish tasks.

Look for work-arounds people develop to manage and control

their environment.

HOW PEOPLE ORGANIZE

How people organize things can tell you a lot about how they

understand and manage their world. Ask people to explain howthey conceptualize things and how they relate to each other.

How do people organize their refrigerator?

Where do people store their "important" papers?

ROLES PEOPLE ASSUME

How does behavior change in a given context? What sort of things are

socially unacceptable in a given context? You should look for changesand roles people seem to adopt in a given setting. Systems of hierarchy

and power are typically a visually obvious example.

How do people react when they have to leave something behind?

How do people take turns when talking?

How does body language change between people?

Try to uncover the social and cultural roles people are playing.

PEOPLE'S "STUFF"

What kinds of stuff people have with them can signal what it is they

see as important.

What do people carry with them?

What do they wear?

How does the setting change this?


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HOUSE KEEPING

Get permission before you start lming, sketching or taking pictures.

Make sure your equipment is working properly.

If working in teams, assign roles and determine expectations for

each team member.

Determine who you want to talk to and why you want to talk with

them.

CAPTURING DATA

While it sounds daunting, try to capture everything you see, hear,

smell, taste and feel.

Use video, photos, notes, maps and sketches. Include details aboutfamily, friends, food and environment.

Include details about emotional responses as well as your own

feelings (uncovering personal biases will help improve analysis in the

long run).

Be sure to get your thoughts recorded as soon as possible after

leaving the eld.

OBSERVATION

Observe reality, not just what people want to show you.

While observing, look for adaptations and inventions, body

language, events that change behavior, social hierarchies, things

people care about, anything you see as irrational or surprising.

Engage in what you are observing. It is through action that many of

the best questions and observation occur.

INTERVIEW

Remember that you are talking, not interrogating. Listen long

enough to put your participant at ease and feel like he/she is

being heard.

Be focused enough to get useful information, but general enough

that the participant can guide the conversation into unexpected

areas.

Ask open-ended questions, do not use a script, and be willing to

ask nave or obvious questions.

The key is remembering that the participant is the expert, not you.

ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS


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WHAT NOW?

Setting Objectives

Fieldwork always produces vast amounts of interesting data. It's what

you do with that data that makes a difference.

The rst step after leaving the eld is to set objectives and end results for

the insights.

This means dening:

Budgets

Time frames

Innovation vs. improvements

Back and front end needs

Cultural Practices

Abovethewaterline,

Aspects of culture that are explicit, visible, taught.

Atthewaterline

The area where implicit understandings become talked about,

explained.

Belowthewaterline

Hidden" culture: the habits, assumptions, understandings, values,

judgments. The things we know but do not or cannot articulate.

- Irrational behavior is perfectly rational to the person doing it.

Domains, Variables and Factors

The next step is to start to articulate the broad topics (domains),

variables within domains and specic factors that create variables.

It is a little like molecular biology. Atoms combine to make molecules,

molecules combine to make compounds.

Uncovering insights and making sense of behavior is similar to

uncovering layers and linkages that build to form an organism.

Things to Consider Before You Dive In

Where and how will your idea be used by the consumer?

Are they an adult? A nine-year old? A soldier?

Understanding the context of use and users should direct where the

product will be used.

Is it in the car? On a laptop? In the backyard? In a retail

environment?

What functions your product must fulll?

Culturally

Is it about your product or something bigger?Design for how people live, not what they tell you.

Technically

What are the elements of that task in a real life setting?

What are people doing now to make do?


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WHAT NOW?

What are the barriers?

Dene cultural barriers.

Dene cost barriers.

Dene platform barriers.

Dene biological barriers.

All of this comes down to understanding the context and cultural

process of the user, shopper or consumer.

What Now: Nuts and Bolts

Now that you have categorized data, brainstorm as many possible

insights as possible.

Selectthe5keyinsightsandwriteonpost-its.

- Post on easel, whiteboard or wall.

- Cluster insights into similar categories.

-Vote down to 5-7 key insights on which to focus.

Break into action groups.

Groups will generate long list of potential solutions.

Brainstorming Tools:WriteIt,SayIt,PostIt;BrainWriting;Forced

Connections

Evaluate and converge on 3 ideas.

Decision Tools:Cluster;DotVoting/SilentVote

Facilitator assists groups in rening 3 ideas to solve the problem.

Groups will evaluate ideas and develop rough prototypes of ideas.

Tools: Pluses,Potentials,ConcernsandOvercoming.

Who, What, When, Why, How focus on what it will take to implement.


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Have fun out there!

CONTACT:GAVIN JOHNSTON

CHIEF ANTHROPOLOGIST, TWO WEST DISCOVERY + DESIGN

DIRECT 816.581.8202 | 816.471.3255

[email protected]

two west culture field book

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