Ethnographic Interview In Social Work

Ethnographic Interview
In the practice of social work, social workers will have frequent contact with people who are of a diverse cultural background other than their own. That is why it is important for social workers to understand these diverse cultures, and to learn as much as they can about these diverse cultural backgrounds. With ethnographic interviewing, social workers take on the stance of being ignorant of a person’s cultural identity, and allows that person to be their guide to understanding their cultural background (Leigh, 1998). For this ethnographic interview, I spoke with a employee of the agency who is an African-American female in her mid- to upper 60’s. She served as a key informant for this interview. She provided information on the worldview of African-Americans in relation to family roles, religion, and raising a grandchild.

This is a mandated program for women with substance abuse issues with open cases with DCP&P and drug court. This program services women with a wide range of clients with diverse cultural backgrounds, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds. I used a key informant for this interview process because I have not been assigned my own clients as of yet, and I have not completed an initial assessment for a client entering into the program. The agency is also very protective of the confidentially of the clients in the program, and did not want a client to feel obligated to participate in the process due to their mandated