Participant Observation
Ethnography allows for a variety of data collection methods. One of the more popular amongst them is called participant observation. This method of data collection is often used in qualitative research as it focuses on interaction with a specific group of people in the context of their cultural environment. It was first devised in the field of anthropology. Bronislaw Malinowski is often cited as one of the first practitioners of this method during his research of the people of Papua New Guinea (Ferraro 113). A researcher that utilizes this method is expected to create relationships within the group, participate in its daily life, and adhere to its customs. It allows the creation of an authentic impression of the culture of the group and many novel insights. This method involves research in the field, establishing rapport with the people, recording of data, and its analysis. In some cases, participation is limited depending on the situation. This method of data collection has been used not only in the research of isolated native communities but also in research of societal sub-cultures, as they are often defined by a strong sense of identity. By interacting with the people directly, a researcher can better understand their mindset and provide more accurate results (Spradley, Participant Observation 53).
Analysis
During my research, I mostly used qualitative methods with one exception. Qualitative research is an all-encompassing term that includes a variety of research methods focused on the understanding of people and groups of people. Data acquired through this research is not empirical but holds a great value nonetheless. Qualitative research is often done through interviews and observation as they provide the best insight into the nature of the group or individual people. On the other hand, quantitative research provides empirical data, usually in countable figures of units.
The first technique I used is questioning. During my research in the field, I asked people about the prices of ingredients, the length of food preparation, and which ingredients work best for which foods. For my second technique, I utilized sensory ethnography to gain a better understanding of the food. I have smelled the pleasant odors that occurred during cooking, tasted the food, and watched as the ingredients were prepared. Karen Nakamura finds this technique to be very effective in the case of field research (132). My next technique included observation of the customers. They were represented by people of all ages, including school children and the elderly. Martin Hammersley finds observation to be a primary form of research (35). I have also used interviews to gain a better understanding of the subject. During my trip to the cooking school, I was able to gain a lot of information about the food itself. According to James Spradley, interviews are an essential part of fieldwork (The Ethnographic Interview 3). Lastly, I used the technique of mapping to outline the most popular locations of street food vendors. Through my research, I found that a pattern emerged. The food was always fresh and took very little time to cook. This quickness allows street food establishments to sell quality Thai food without a loss in quality.
Sensory Ethnography
The most important parts of this research were done through the use of sensory ethnography. As the name suggests, it is a type of ethnography that focuses on the use of senses, such as sight, smell, taste, and others. In the research on food culture, it is an essential tool because the smell and taste are both aspects that cannot be shown through text or images. Sarah Pink in her book “Doing Sensory Ethnography” provides an example of similar research: “Based on his experience of living in one area Cohen can report on the routines and cycles of garbage accumulation and removal, its smell (as he experienced) and the activities that people engaged in, adding cooking and food smells” (99).
Conclusion
Street food in Hong Kong represents a crucial part of the culture. Its high quality is afforded by the quick preparation time and fresh ingredients of Thai cooking. This research made me change my opinion on street food in this area.
Works Cited
Ferraro, Gary. Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology. Cengage Learning, 2015.
Hammersley, Martyn. Reading Ethnographic Research. Routledge, 2016.
Nakamura, Karen. “Making Sense of Sensory Ethnography: The Sensual and the Multisensory.” American Anthropologist, vol. 115, no. 1, 2013, pp. 132-135.
Pink, Sarah. Doing Sensory Ethnography. SAGE, 2015.
Spradley, James. Participant Observation. Waveland Press, 2016.
The Ethnographic Interview. Waveland Press, 2016.