http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/ethnography Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:28:59 -0400 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:28:59 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity By Margaret R. Devlin - While the history of ethnography in Russia dates back to the Kievan Rus era, modern ethnographic production in Russia developed in the 17th century and expanded during the late 18th and early 19th centuries as interest in folktales and in the lives and natures of Russian peasants exploded amongst the Russian elite. This paper briefly explores the history of Russian ethnography before examining the Russian concepts of narod (народ, the people) and narodnost (народность, the Russian soul). This work examines the folklore collections of Alexander Afanasev and his process of editing... Thu, 08 Apr 2021 03:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1250/how-ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-retold-the-story-of-the-black-american-experience-for-the-cultural-mainstream By Luke D. Mahoney - People love a good story. A good story can be intriguingly informative, a good story can well up deep emotions and a good story can carry culture, history and tradition. It was through storytelling that many ancient cultures preserved and passed down their understanding of the world, their rites and their rituals. It was, and still is, through stories that children become familiar with cultural and societal norms and mores. Stories are important to people, are one of the most important forms of verbal and written communication. People learn about each other through storytelling, solve problems... Mon, 26 Oct 2015 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1250/how-ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-retold-the-story-of-the-black-american-experience-for-the-cultural-mainstream http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1006/the-researcher-at-the-dance-epistemology-ethics-and-the-ethnographer By Christopher T. McMaster - Before the ethnographer can enter the field of research, indeed, before the researcher can interpret data from the field, he or she must first be aware of how knowledge and meaning are made. The epistemological lens the ethnographer uses will have crucial implications on the hows and the whys—not only of the research itself—but on the role of the researcher. This essay will argue (with the assistance of two young parents, one salmon, and a farm yard full of dancers) that the only ethical ethnography is critical, and the responsibility of the ethnographer is to actively participate... Fri, 06 Mar 2015 04:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1006/the-researcher-at-the-dance-epistemology-ethics-and-the-ethnographer http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/669/a-couchsurfing-ethnography-traveling-and-connection-in-a-commodified-world By CiCi Siyue Liu - The past decades have seen significant expansion in the markets for commercial tourism, offering high-cost accommodation, luxury services, and resort getaways for the Western consumer. In the context of high expenditure-and-profit tourism, forms of alternative tourism distant from the commercial arena have emerged globally. Examples include Hospitality Exchange and the CouchSurfing Project. This ethnographic study analyzes the CouchSurfing Project as an emerging social and cultural phenomenon, and seeks to determine the shared meanings, values, and social interpretations of CouchSurfers that support... Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/669/a-couchsurfing-ethnography-traveling-and-connection-in-a-commodified-world http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/544/an-ethnography-of-water-birth-and-its-representations-on-youtube By T S - The purpose of this qualitative research study is to report semi-structured interview narratives from sixteen parents who had given birth immersed in water and posted their live birth videos on YouTube.com. This report introduces the concept of water birth as an alternative birth practice and discusses the contributions of anthropologists to the anthropology of birth. Anthropologists such as Mead, Sargent, Davis-Floyd, and Jordan call for the narratives women share related to their childbirth experiences, with specific attention paid to women who engage in childbirth activism and “reject... Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:34 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/544/an-ethnography-of-water-birth-and-its-representations-on-youtube http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/168/deception-delusion-and-division-in-american-politics-fruits-of-the-contact-zone By Gabrielle Micheletti - In her essay, The Arts of The Contact Zone, Mary Louise Pratt, a member of the Modern Language Association,  relates the challenges of politics to the concept of a social space where “cultures meet, clash and grapple,” (501) accordingly termed “contact zones”. These zones are, clearly, points of contact between two different cultures, and involve certain dynamics, such as an imbalance of power between the two. An example of a modern contact zone exists in American politics, and specifically between the Democratic and Republican parties. From this constant and dramatic... Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/168/deception-delusion-and-division-in-american-politics-fruits-of-the-contact-zone