ethnography

1. a description of the activities of a group and the beliefs held by group members.

2. study of the lifestyles, beliefs, and norms of a selected group through observation, participation, and analysis. Ethnographic research includes studies of patterns of behavior, known as culture traits, and the relationships between patterns of behavior. Ethnographic inquiry may be on selected topics, such as health and illness, and may ask questions such as “Do fathers in this culture attend the birth of a child?” or “What does a family member do immediately after the birth of a child?”