Ethnographic Interview – Pre-Interview Research Assignment

Ethnographic Interview – Pre-Interview Research Assignment

I chose Maria González to be my interviewee for this ethnographic interview assignment. Maria and I met through a mutual friend who noted her diverse ethnic background and experiences. I selected to interview Maria because she is from Panama, a culture very different from mine, and I was intrigued by the possibility of learning more about Panamanian cultural values and traditions. Maria González is a representative of Panamanian culture. She was born and raised in Panama, and her formative years were heavily influenced by the country’s traditions, values, and way of life. This enables her to provide first-hand insights into the cultural features of Panama. I’m excited to learn about and comprehend the cultural complexities of Panama through Maria’s experiences and perspective. This assignment will be an excellent opportunity for me to delve into a culture other than my own and broaden my awareness of the diversity of human experiences and worldviews.

Research on the Interviewee’s Culture

Worldview

The primary religion in Panama is Roman Catholicism, with a sizable proportion of the population also practicing other Protestant denominations. Panamanians have strong religious beliefs and values, and their worldview frequently emphasizes the importance of faith and spirituality in their daily lives[1]. The religious views influence a typical Panamanian’s attitudes and practices, impacting their commitment to family, community, and moral standards[2]. It is also evident in how many Panamanians observe religious festivals and incorporate faith into their customs and rituals. This religious basis plays a significant part in developing Panamanian culture’s ethical and moral framework, fostering a strong feeling of community and shared values among its people.

Cultural Values and Practices

Communication patterns in Panamanian culture are more indirect and fit into the category of high-context communication culture, stressing nonverbal cues and shared cultural knowledge. Politeness and respect are highly prized, which frequently results in an indirect communication style in order to avoid confrontation or offense[3]. Family ties are greatly valued and hold a key role in society, indicating a collectivist perspective favoring familial ties over individual ambitions[4]. This collectivist attitude extends to cultural and communal connections, instilling a strong sense of togetherness and collaboration in Panamanians. These principles are expressed in daily encounters by emphasizing harmonious relationships and respect for elders. Outsiders may find Panamanians to be more reserved and indirect in their interactions as a result of these behaviors, but by learning and respecting these cultural norms, outsiders can create meaningful ties within the Panamanian culture.

Conflict

Conflict is frequently dealt with in Panamanian culture in a way that stresses maintaining unity and “saving face.” Public displays of strong negative emotions or confrontations are often avoided, with a preference for indirect dispute resolution. The concept of “saving face” is critical in this culture, as keeping one’s own and others’ reputations is critical. This can have an impact on how people deal with conflict by pushing them to seek resolution through compromise and consensus-building rather than outright confrontation, with the ultimate goal of preserving relationships and social peace. The Panamanian worldview, which values collectivism, strong family links, and the importance of community interactions, all contribute to the preference for indirect communication and peaceful conflict resolution in everyday life.

Cultural Comparison

The Researcher

My worldview is shaped by Western culture, particularly growing up in the United States. Communication techniques in Western culture are more direct, with an emphasis on clear and plain verbal expression[5]. Individualism is valued, and personal objectives and liberty are frequently prioritized. In terms of conflict resolution, frank and direct confrontation is frequently encouraged, and “saving face” may not be as important. My worldview informs my communication patterns, which leads me to prefer explicit and open communication. It can occasionally influence my approach to conflict, leading to a predilection for dealing with situations head-on. However, when interacting with people from cultures such as Panama, where indirect communication and face preservation is essential, I must be mindful of these differences and adapt my approach to foster effective cross-cultural communication, understanding that a direct approach may not always be appropriate. When working with people from different cultural backgrounds, developing cultural awareness and adapting to various communication techniques and dispute-resolution approaches is critical.

Comparison

My communication practices, influenced by Western culture, are more direct, whereas the interviewee’s Panamanian culture is more oblique. Individualism is generally emphasized in my relationships, whereas collectivism and strong family links are valued in Panamanian culture. My approach to conflict resolution is often more aggressive, whereas the interviewee’s culture prioritizes maintaining face and peace. The consequences of these differences for someone from Panama interacting with my culture include potential misunderstandings due to different communication styles, difficulties adapting to individualism over collectivism in relationships, and discomfort with direct conflict approaches that may not align with their cultural values.

Reflection and Conclusion

As I prepare for the interview with Maria, I must remember to approach the subject with cultural sensitivity and an open mind, given the vast differences between my Western cultural background and her Panamanian one. Understanding her and my culture’s communication techniques, relationship ideals, and conflict-resolution techniques will allow me to manage potential cultural differences with respect and understanding. My understanding of the anthropological approach, with a focus on cultural relativity, will assist me in appreciating the legitimacy of her cultural practices and beliefs. The notions of participant observation and rapport will be extremely useful in establishing trust and understanding throughout the interview, allowing us to have a more effective exchange of insights and experiences.

Bibliography

Beale, Tyson, LaVar Charleston, and Adriel Hilton. “Black Male College Persistence: A Phenomenological Collective of Familial and Social Motivators.” Journal of Research Initiatives 4, no. 3 (September 1, 2019). https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/vol4/iss3/1/.

Dam Lam, Rodolfo, and Alexandros Gasparatos. “Unpacking the Interface of Modernization, Development and Sustainability in Indigenous Guna Communities of Panama.” People and Nature 5, no. 2 (February 5, 2023): 774–94. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10452.

Wan, Zhengfa. “Image, Impressionism and Imagism.” www.atlantis-press.com. Atlantis Press, April 8, 2022. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220401.014.

 

 [1]Rodolfo Dam Lam and Alexandros Gasparatos, “Unpacking the Interface of Modernization, Development and Sustainability in Indigenous Guna Communities of Panama,” People and Nature 5, no. 2 (February 5, 2023): 774–94, https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10452.

[2]Dam Lam and Gasparatos, “Unpacking the Interface of Modernization, Development and Sustainability”

[3] Tyson Beale, LaVar Charleston, and Adriel Hilton, “Black Male College Persistence: A Phenomenological Collective of Familial and Social Motivators,” Journal of Research Initiatives 4, no. 3 (September 1, 2019), https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/vol4/iss3/1/

[4] Beale, Charleston, and Hilton, “Black Male College Persistence”

[5]Zhengfa Wan, “Image, Impressionism and Imagism,” www.atlantis-press.com (Atlantis Press, April 8, 2022), https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220401.014.

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Overview

This assignment will be completed before you write the interview questions and before you conduct the ethnographic interview. It will consist of research on the interviewee’s culture and your personal reflection on your role as the researcher in the interview process. This assignment will provide a basic overview of the cultural values and practices of the person you will be interviewing for the next assignment. Please note that the research findings will be generalizations about the culture and there may be differences in how the interviewee actually implements these concepts in their daily life and interactions, but this research will give you a starting point as you prepare for the interview. This is the second of four assignments of the Ethnographic Interview series.

You will need to select a person that you will interview for the Ethnographic Interview series in the coming weeks. When selecting a person for the interview, note that the interviewee must be from a different cultural background than the culture that you would identify as your home culture. The interviewee may not be someone who is related to you or had influence in your upbringing. The interviewee must have spent the majority of their developmental years under the influence of parents or guardians who were also born and raised in the culture that they are representing for the interview. The interviewee must be able to respond to the questions in the first person, as a locally born, active participant in the culture they are representing. The interviewee may not be someone who moved into the culture for work or ministry purposes as an adult or was transplanted into the culture by their non-national parents. Please do not interview a military kid or missionary kid or an individual who moved to the culture represented in the interview as an adult.

So, who can you interview? Howell and Paris define culture as “the total way of life of a group of people that is learned, dynamic, shared, power-laden, and integrated.”[1] This means that culture is not necessarily defined by geographical location, but by the shared experiences which have impacted the worldview (beliefs, values, and practices) of a group of people. You may interview an unrelated immigrant, international student, foreign professional, neighbor who grew up in a different country or in a significantly different region of the US (you grew up in New York City, but your neighbor grew up in southern Texas), someone from a significantly different socioeconomic class, etc.

Instructions

The paper should contain the following sections:

1. Introduction: Briefly introduce the interviewee. How do you know the interviewee? Why did you choose to interview this person? You may use a pseudonym (fake name). What culture is the interviewee representing?
2. Research on the Interviewee’s Culture: You will learn more about the worldview, cultural values and practices, and conflict approaches most prevalent in your interviewee’s culture. These elements will also be the foundation for the upcoming Interview Questions Assignment and the Analysis and Reflection Assignment, which will come after this assignment in the Ethnographic Interview series. Use at least 5 citations from 3 scholarly sources (this can include the course textbooks) in this assignment.

• Worldview: What is the main religion practiced in the interviewee’s culture? What do the people generally believe about humanity and God? How might these beliefs impact the values and practices of a typical individual in this culture?
  • Cultural Values and Practices:
    • Communication Practices: Are the people in this culture direct or indirect communicators? Is this a low or high context communication culture? What values are shown through these practices? How might this impact communication with outsiders?
    • Relationships: Which relationships (societal, marital, familial) are most valued and how is this manifested in the culture? Is the culture collectivist or individualist? How does this manifest itself in daily interactions and basic life decisions?
  • Conflict: How does this culture address conflict? Do they express their thoughts and feelings publicly? Is “saving face” important in this culture? How does this concept impact the approach to conflict?
  • How does the typical worldview in this culture impact communication practices, relationships, and approach to conflict of the average person in this culture?

3. Cultural Comparison:

• The Researcher: Discuss the elements that make up your worldview. What are the general approaches to communication, relationships, and conflict in your culture? How does your worldview impact your communication practices, relationships, and approach to conflict? How do your approaches impact interactions with people from other cultural backgrounds?
  • Comparison:
• How do your communication practices, relationships, and approach to conflict compare to the approaches of the interviewee’s culture?
• What are the implications/challenges for someone from the interviewee’s culture interacting with your culture based on the research findings?

4. Reflection and Conclusion: What considerations should you, as the researcher, make as you prepare for this interview, keeping in mind your research findings and personal worldview? How might your knowledge of the anthropological perspective, participant observation, and rapport be useful to the interview process?

[1] Brian M. Howell and Jenell Paris, Introducing Cultural Anthropology: A Christian Perspective, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2019), 40.