ABSTRACT
Ethnography is a naturalistic method of inquiry that involves close observation and interaction in a setting in order to learn about participants’ social construction of meaning as it relates to (some aspect of ) health. Denzin’s (1997) definition of “ethnography” emphasizes the dual nature of ethnography as both process and product: “that form of inquiry and writing that produces descriptions and accounts about the ways of life of the writer and those written about” (p. xi). Health communication researchers can utilize ethnography for the purposes of learning about and assisting in the development or enhancement of communication processes in provision of health care, the construction and targeting of health messages, and the many mundane sites in which people experience culturally specific meanings of (and threats to) health and illness. Thus, this chapter explores how and for what purposes health communication researchers conduct ethnography in hospitals, clinics, and other health-related settings, including homes, workplaces, and schools.
