Embedded Ethnography

Ethnography is a qualitative orientation to research that emphasises the detailed observation of people in naturally occurring settings. Embedded ethnography, then, is when the researcher inserts herself into the natural setting, becoming a participant as well as an observer.

For ReCrafting Mathematics Education, we have begun our research by embedding ourselves in local craft communities. Through detailed field notes, interviews, and involvement in the communities’ everyday activities, we have become part of the communities in which traditionally female crafts such as knitting, sewing, quilting, and weaving exist as artful practices.