ETHNOGRAPHY has been defined as the scientific study of contemporary culture. Also, according to the Oxford Dictionary, “Ethnography is the scientific description of races of men for the study of units of ethnic groups, his daily activities and the evidence of his existence.”
An ethnographer can be regarded as a socio-cultural practical researcher who goes into the field to study the culture of a people in its holistic form, which may include his social structure, political system, means of economic survival, religion and rituals, knowledge and beliefs, music and dance, technology and architecture, language and intangible aspects of his culture. He collects the material evidence of man concerning the environment of his subsistence. Clyde Kluckhohnapthly describes the ethnography as “an Archaeologist who catches his own Archaeology alive.”
Method of ethnographic field acquisition: The acquisition of natural and cultural objects (Antiquities) from the field is mainly sponsored by museums, academic research institutions, or licensed art collectors.
Ethnographers are principal accredited agents of the museum recognized by law to collect museum objects during their fieldwork in compliance with the definition in the “Antiquities Ordnance No 17 of 1953”—all extant laws and accession policies, in line with the museum’s exhibition policy.
The best method of acquiring museum objects for scholarly purposes is through fieldwork acquisition. This source guarantees enough information on the objects, unlike doctored details that may be attached to objects by professional vendors who are mostly businessmen.
Therefore, sources of field acquisition include the purchase of objects, which is often the best source of acquiring objects in the field because it attaches no more obligations to the previous owner: gift, donation, loan, seizure, request, etc.
However, when an object is acquired in the field, the following information must be recorded immediately in the researcher’s diary: geographical location where the object is collected, the purpose, place name of the object, i.e. the vernacular name, classification of the objects, types of materials used and method of manufacturing, approximate size of the object, functional use of the object, mode of acquisition, the physical condition of the objects.
Having said this, the importance of field documentation should be emphasized. The reason is that objects sourced from the field are likely to be from the original owner. Information from such sources is more reliable for scholarly work and museum use because it is undiluted and from primary sources.
So, since ethnography plays a significant role in national building and acts as a scientific engineer to X-ray man and his culture in national development, ethnographic research is expected to rise with much attention above the prevalent ethical conflict. An Ethnographer must always be driven and encouraged by the need to contribute to knowledge and address societal problems genuinely.
- Aisikhanua is the principal ethnographer at the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Owo, Ondo State.
READ ALSO: Towards understanding the museum
