The authors of this piece are defending short-term ethnographic research by detailing the many aspects that make it stand out amongst more traditional ways of doing ethnographic research. They state that many scholars criticize short-term ethnographic research for being too superficial and that it does not account for every layered aspect of people and cultures. However, I believe that they did a great job in explaining why the method is not inferior and why it is being used widely to address contemporary issues.
I’ve always believed that long term ethnographic research and observation are crucial in determining or addressing issues related to culture and humanity because of how intersectional and contextualized these issues can be. Especially when presenting quantitative data, there are risks related to how accurate and non-partisan the outcome can be. However, the authors argue that short-term research can actually be intensive and provide more embodied experience of participants because of scholars’ intervention in observations. The writers also bring up the benefit of not having to seek apprenticeship when observing highly technical fields of study. Rather, they believe that having detail oriented observations can lead to an alternative conclusion. With the usage of social media and the internet, the writers also state that a long lasting relationship can be formed and maintained throughout the study and beyond.
Clearly, all the points provided above show how effective short-term ethnographic research can be. But I am not convinced that they will replace pre-existing methods of long-term research. While having intensive observations can be a source of more in depth experiences, the possibility of participants willing to form such bonds is uncertain. It can rather go the opposite direction and seem too intrusive for the study subjects. Also, there is the possibility that participatory observations can have more bias. Clearly, the inaccuracies and partiality of short-term research are inevitable but combining these two methods in ethnographic research can bring about interesting findings. But overall, I think that the authors did a great job in presenting their arguments for why short-term ethnographic research is on the rise and why people shouldn’t overlook its potential to bring different perspective to research.