In our globalized world, cross-cultural understanding has become increasingly important – making ethnographic skills useful for undergraduate students interested in industry and government as well as those planning to pursue academic careers. Ethnographic proficiency promotes critical thinking by requiring students to critically analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative information and data from a variety of sources. During a time of newly intensifying misinformation, this has become an essential skill. Ethnography often involves fieldwork and interacting with people in their communities, providing students with valuable real-world experience that can be applied in many different settings.
The Ethnography Certificate promotes empirical, qualitative literacy that presents ethnography at two levels:
- as a set of qualitative research methods employed in the humanities and social sciences, and
- a mode of presenting that research—in books and articles, in film and video, in embodied performance, and, increasingly, in digital formats and multiple media.
As a set of qualitative research methods, ethnography provides students with an opportunity to develop research skills such as designing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results. As a mode of presenting research, the interdisciplinary nature of ethnography means that it draws on knowledge and toolkits from many different areas of study. This can be especially valuable for undergraduates who are still exploring different fields and majors.
The Ethnography Certificate promotes empirical, qualitative literacy that presents ethnography at two levels:
(1) as a set of qualitative research methods employed in the humanities and social sciences, and
(2) a mode of presenting that research—in books and articles, in film and video, in embodied performance, and, increasingly, in digital formats and multiple media.
Visit the Ethnography Certificate website to learn more. For any questions or to set up an office hours appointment, please contact the Certificate Director, Jane Lynch (jane.lynch@yale.edu).