Ethnographic Interview (Essay Sample)

Ethnographic Interview Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Professor Date Abstract By attempting to gain insight into a specific culture through living and learning alongside individuals from those cultures of interest, cultural anthropology studies are advanced. Therefore, ethnographic interviews allow researchers to understand various aspects of foreign traditions. Interviewing sources effectively requires a variety of abilities. Interviewers must ask relevant questions objectively, speak assertively, and demonstrate verbal interest in the interviewee. The goal of this ethnographic interview is to acquaint the interviewer with German nurses' culture, values, customs, and language. Culture is a significant component of people's lives. It includes traits that shape attitudes and behavior. The interviewer will delve into an interviewee's cultural heritage to gain insight into factors influencing personal actions and thought processes. To obtain accurate information, I interviewed a mixed-race health practitioner from Germany. She is twenty-three years old woman living and pursuing a degree in Psychology in the United States. I recruited Rachael, not her real name, to learn about her ethnicity and cultural identity. Keywords: Ethnographic interview, Interviewer, Interviewer, Culture, discrimination, diversity. Community, society, and values Ethnographic Interview An ethnographic interview is a casual interaction between interviewers and interviewees in a natural environment. This interview mainly focuses on participants' observations. Moreover, it can be used by ethnography researchers acting as observers within a particular group or setting to learn more about the lives and activities of the targeted community members. These interviews involve researchers and subjects with a pre-existing connection, which occurs voluntarily. Therefore, the goal of my interview is to learn more about German society from the perspective of Rachael, a German citizen currently studying and living in the U.S. Because culture has a significant influence on how people cope with various circumstances, interviewers must pay considerable attention to participants' background to gain insight into the negative and positive aspects of one's culture. Demographic, Background, and Cultural Identity Information of the Interviewee Rachael is a mixed-race German citizen. While her father is German, her mother is an immigrant from Israel. During the Interview, Rachael reported growing up in Southern Germany, a region described as farmland. She was raised in a military household. Her father was an army general who had to travel frequently. Rachael’s mother would take care of her four children during his absence. Rachael was the firstborn child among the four siblings. Though most parents in Rachael’s neighborhood were strict with their children, Rachael enjoyed significant freedom to socialize with friends. She was allowed to drink beer and go to nightclubs at sixteen years old. However, her relationship experiences were impacted by discrimination. Most mix-race residents in her area faced significant discrimination. These acts of discrimination were often class and race-based. Socio-economic class difference is well-established in Germany. While Rachael perceives some parts of Southern Germany as a sophisticated and developed region, others are home to most of the nation’s poor and under-educated people who frequently use slang vocabulary in communication. Despite the wealthy and low-income earners being Germans, these two groups have varying cultural aspects. Study shows that social stratification, which is the ranking of communities per their economic hierarchy or ethnic dominance, is a common practice in modern societies (Howell & Paris, 2019). Besides, Rachael described the difference in the interaction between the different demographics. For instance, her hometown is interconnected with extensive farmlands and beautiful grasslands on which wild animals run freely. She remembers how people could frequently meet in her neighborhood to socialize and party. The southerners thrive on a culture of hard work, respect, and orderliness. Rachael notes that her community embraces perfectionism and precision in all aspects of their lives. For example, they are most comfortable when they can compartmentalize their daily activities into manageable units. Thus, they respect time, calendars, and schedules. What is more, these are stoic individuals who rarely confess their flaws or offer praise. Their demeanor may seem hostile at first, yet they have a strong sense of social unity and a strong desire to belong. Although the official language of Rachael's country is German, people in her neighborhood speak mixed languages, including Romani, Turkish, and Kurdish. Similarly, the southerners are religious, with most of the population belonging to Christianity. Regardless, people are free to belong or not associate with any religion. Consequently, Rachael reports that she had a few atheist and Muslim friends. Moreover, the community developed a unique cuisine encompassing pork dishes and beer as the leading alcoholic beverage. Rachael remembers that Christmas and Easter were among her hometown's main holidays. These were joyous occasions that united families and friends. Rachael also shared a fascinating truth. A segment of her family, especially the grandparents, is comfortable practicing magic. Witchcraft refers to ceremonial rituals that are believed to affect desired outcomes. Nevertheless, Rachael has consistently resisted temptations to believe in such occurrences. While she was baptized as a Catholic while still an infant, she only discovered her religion in 2019. Due to her relatively fresh ideas, she has unique values. Rachael does not believe in the biblical definition of sin. This approach has allowed her to effectively cope with the American culture that embraces divorce, abortion, and homosexuality, which most Christians perceive as sins. Moreover, her family is quite lenient on various social issues and believes in respecting other people's choices. She compliments Germans, saying they are often more forgiving on matters concerning individuals' decisions and social lives. Rachael says that her cultural identity became more significant when she arrived in America. Following her father’s retirement from the military, Rachael and her family relocated to the U.S. The American culture is quite different from the Germans’ way of life. While Christmas and Easter are celebrated in the countries mentioned above, most of the remaining holidays differ. Rachael describes the social activities in her community. There were occasions known as fests, and each festival had a unique date and theme. Her favorite childhood celebration was the Fischer Fest. This event enabled attendees to enjoy live music and drink beer. These moments unified the community, and everyone got an opportunity to relax. Nevertheless, she describes how the German and American parties are different, stating that it was strange to be asked to pay an entrance fee to an event when such celebrations were free back home. This discovery made Rachael more appreciative of her culture. Rachael was also raised knowing that the legal drinking age was sixteen years. However, she was shocked to learn that America limited access to alcohol to citizens above the age of 21. In Germany, beer is not considered a gateway substance; instead, it is perceived as a beverage of socialization. In terms of drinking, Germans seem to be more responsible than other nationalities. This worldview explains why Rachael’s family had a casual attitude toward drinking. On the other hand, alcohol consumption in the U.S. is often marred with controversies. Rachael remembers being angry and confused when she learned that she could not buy a drink while under the age of 21 years. Consequently, the desire to maintain her cultural identity became increasingly important. Rachael continued by describing how interactions function in her hometown. Because she lived in a small town, everyone seemed to know one another. Without being too inquisitive, they showed genuine concern for their neighbors. She then described a toy store she frequented as a youngster. The shop owner and buyers would give her a warm reception whenever she visited the store. The feeling of familiarity among the residents was impressive. Since her family had links with the military, they were known throughout the community. Everyone Rachael met held her to high standards. Life in Germany, for the most part, was exciting. Life in America was becoming unbearable, and Rachael frequently wished her family could return to Germany. Positive and Damaging Lived Experiences  Immigrating to America enabled Rachael and her family to interact with various cultures. With hundreds of nationalities now residing in the U.S, it is a country that has learned to appreciate and cherish diversity. Besides making many new friends, Rachael and her siblings received numerous opportunities to learn about various cultures from across the globe without having to travel to all nations in the world. Also, the U.S. offers the best educational opportunities. The country is home to the world's leading learning institutions. Rachael says that moving to America helped her learn to speak in English quicker to communicate more effectively with residents. Learning new languages was one of her fears; thus, she was empowered when she overcame it. Given that Rachael's dream has been to pursue a career in Psychology, the availability of many medical schools presented her with hopes that she would eventually live her dreams. Besides, the U.S was a beautiful country, encompassing spectacular architectural works and natural sceneries. From city getaways in New York or Washington to beach vacations in Florida or California, she discovered several ways to spend h...