Ethnography in the Performing Arts: A Student Guide
Dr Simone Krüger, Senior Lecturer in Music, Media and Cultural Studies, School of Media, Critical and Creative Arts, Liverpool John Moores University
Disciplines: Music, Inter-disciplines, Drama, Dance
Status: Complete
Start date: 1/9/2007
Outcome format: Book, Report
Outcome available: Yes
Formal university education in the performing arts — that is, in music, dance and drama studies — often allows students to undertake independent study in the form of semester-long projects or more substantial final-year dissertation writing. When such an option is chosen, students are typically required to present written work of an original and critical nature, perhaps accompanied by some form of creative output. In approaching the individual and group creativity, expression and experience that lies at the heart of the performing arts, ethnography is a particularly suitable tool, allowing us both to study and reach our own understandings while gathering those of the people involved and situating them within their broader social and cultural contexts. Ethnography may be described as an approach to learning about the social and cultural life of individuals, communities and institutions through the researcher’s personal immersion in investigative and empathetic participation and observation research. Its result is writing that emphasises and builds on the perspectives of the people in the research setting in question, documenting their actions and values according to conventions established in scholarship in a number of fields.
Ethnography as a means of research and way of writing has long been employed in the performing arts, yet despite its explanatory power, ethnography is less widely used at undergraduate level, appearing daunting and ambiguous to certain students and non-specialists. At the same time, written guides and books that are intelligible to both students and non-specialists are rare. The student guide presented here will address this as follows:
- The student guide is a practical, easy-to-understand guide to ethnography in the performing arts tailored specifically to students and non-specialists for use in university education.
- The guide is designed with the novice undergraduate and postgraduate fieldworker in mind, and explores and illustrates the multiple, complex steps of ethnographic research and writing by presenting them one-by-one in simple, reader-friendly language.
- The student guide serves as learning and teaching resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students and educators in dance, drama and music wishing to utilise ethnography as a mode of enquiry and way of writing.
To this end, the student guide illustrates to students and educators the special characteristics and applicability of ethnography as a method of research and style of writing in the performing arts. It outlines practical ways for conducting ethnographic research in university settings through students’ active participation in a dance, drama and music culture, and for presenting this research in writing, while also considering other possible ethnographic outcomes. Additionally, the student guide includes sample ethnographies in selected contexts in music and dance, while illustrating students’ expectations, motivations and experiences during research and writing.
The student voice greatly informs the content of the student guide and provides a rich account of the motivations, expectations, difficulties and successes experienced by students during fieldwork or the conduct of an ethnographic research project. Working from real examples, the student guide introduces theory in the direct commentary on those instances, and so does not overburden the reader with abstract ideas. Hopefully you will find the student guide useful and meaningful for the conduct of your own ethnographic project in the performing arts.
The project
The project began as a cross-institutional collaboration led by Dr Simone Krüger (Liverpool John Moores University) in association with Professor Jonathan P. J. Stock (University of Sheffield). The initial idea was to write a student guide to ‘performance ethnography’ in dance, drama and music and to provide specific insight into carrying out performance ethnography in the context of the performing arts. However, it was decided mid-way through that Simone would complete the work and finally write up the student guide. At the same time, the initial focus has shifted in the course of the project, since the majority of students included in the project focused on cultural (rather than performative) immersion in the culture studied. As a result, the student guide more generally introduces ethnography as a method of research and way of writing in the performing arts, and only includes a shorter section on performance ethnography.
Ethnography Seminar, 9 July 2008, Liverpool John Moores University
The student guide was introduced to invited academics and scholars in the performing arts from universities across the UK during a seminar held on 9 July 2008 at Liverpool John Moores University. The seminar focused on the use of ethnography with university students in the performing arts and was divided into two shorter sessions: firstly, Simone introduced participants to the PALATINE-funded research project, which investigated the use of ethnography with students in the performing arts at Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Sheffield.
Following on from this, the research assistants gave short presentations reflecting on their experiences during the project. Annie Gosling (Liverpool John Moores University) started by focusing specifically on students’ concerns and problems, as well as their positive experiences of doing ethnography. The presentation highlighted that whilst there are particular concerns that students have about ethnography, it encourages them to be more reflexive, and can be an incredibly positive experience for students. Tram Nguyen (University of Sheffield) then focused the development of questions for interviews with students and her initial expectations and experiences during interviewing selected students, following by some reflections on her own personal development. Lianne, a student participant in the project then delivered a presentation based on her ethnographic research on the topic “Shake that ass”: Gendered Representations and Stereotypes in Hip Hop Music.
The second part of the seminar then introduced the student guide to the participants who were invited to critically evaluate it as an educational resource in their own practice both as researchers and educators. Here are some of their comments and feedback:
I read the student guide ... and think there's lots in there that's very useful, and that I'll be recommending to colleagues for use with students. Dr Stephanie Pitts, Department of Music, University of Sheffield, UK
I am very pleased that students will have access to this rich and "friendly" text ... I wish this guide could be widely available to university students in Brazil but this of course would depend on translation. Meanwhile, I intend to present and discuss much of its contents and design with my students at UFRJ. Prof. Dr. José Alberto Salgado e Silva, Escola de Música, Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I have recommended the guide for our 3rd years in drama. I think it will be ideal. Emma Heron, Department of Performing Arts, Edge Hill University, UK
I am very excited to try out elements of the guide in the summer study programme and next year with dance students. Sarie Mairs Slee, Department of Performing Arts, Edge Hill University, UK
At Chester, we have students studying popular music, dance, drama and performance and new media. Students get excited when they realise that not everything is performance but many things can be looked at as performance, including the 'business' of managing performance. This guide increases the range of tools at their disposal to analyse all sorts of events - as well as helping them with focused, ethical planning for original dissertation and practical project work. We will certainly make use of it this year, especially in combination with performance studies approaches. Kate Malone Smith, Head of Performing Arts, University of Chester, UK
World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME), 21 – 25 July 2008, Bologna, Italy
The 28th ISME World Conference in Bologna was attended by more than 1,000 academics, scholars and practitioners from around the world, where Simone delivered a well-received presentation that provided an outline of the research project, and presented the resultant student guide. The aim of the presentation was to disseminate the guide as a potential learning and teaching resource for use with students at universities worldwide.
During the conference, 100 printed copies of the student guide (funded by PALATINE) were distributed to interested conference delegates from as far away as Australia, Africa and America. In conversations with delegates, Simone found that the student guide is a long-needed and welcome educational resource on research methods and ethnography, and that many international academics will make use of the student guide with their own university students.
Further comments on the student guide
Many kind thanks for the student guide – since I will offer two research/ interview seminars in the next semester, I can use material from it! [Vielen herzlichen Dank für den Student Guide -- da ich nächstes Semester zwei Forschungs-/Interviewseminare unterrichte, koennte ich Material daraus verwenden!] Prof. Dr Britta Sweers, Hochschule für Music und Theater Rostock, Germany
The format ... [and] commentary alongside student examples ... will be particularly helpful, I think, for students who need to see how processes translate into practice. Thanks for helping our students! I also enjoy the extra insight into students' perspectives on conducting fieldwork and writing ethnography! Dr Kathleen J. Noss Van Buren, University of Sheffield, UK
It is an insightful introduction to the method, beautifully framed within the context of its use in various music (and dance) circumstances. I appreciate especially the sample ethnographies, timelines for "doing ethnography", transcripts, and comments on the mechanics of the process. Professor Patricia Shehan Campbell, School of Music, University of Washington, Seattle
I've just seen your Student Guide to Ethnography in the Performing Arts! It looks fabulous! Dr Henry Stobart, Department of Music, Royal Holloway University of London
The guide looks great ... very useful for my students. Dr Laudan Nooshin, Department of Music, City University London
Publications relating to the student guide
The student guide
The student guide illustrates the multiple, complex steps of ethnographic research and writing, and presents them one-by-one in simple, reader-friendly language. Written with the novice fieldworker in mind, the content is informed by the multifaceted experiences of university students when conducting their own ethnographic research project in music, dance and drama. Hopefully you will find the student guide useful and meaningful for the conduct of your own ethnographic project in the performing arts.
Report
- Ethnography in the Performing Arts: A Student Guide (2008, 1.51 MB, PDF document)
Simone Krüger, Liverpool John Moores University