My Ethnography (revised from 11/4/16) M. Elwer, your guide

This is not the culture and heritage for most of us.

After a long and divisive political campaign in the U.S., culminating in the November 8 [2016] election, we've been pushed to choose sides on complex social and policy issues. Around the world people are watching, and what they see is often disconcerting. Lines are drawn quickly. We retreat into our own camps even faster. We tend to duck down when cultural confrontation arises. We want to watch, to understand, but not necessarily to engage. Like watching a car crash-we can't look away, but we fear getting pulled in. Because involvement might change us. That's how it is living in a culture: loosely defined as a system of shared beliefs and behaviors. Whether you're a leader or simply trying to find your way, it's essential to understand how a culture works. Who holds power? What are the rules? How do you begin to participate?

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs), no matter the setting, often find themselves in a culture but not of it. We must understand its workings-not to fit in, but to serve effectively. To help someone reach their communication goals, we need to understand the cultural context that shapes their experience. That's where ethnography comes in. What is an Ethnography? An ethnography is a close observation of a culture

How it's structured- How it functions- How it influences people It's a practice rooted in anthropology, but it can be powerful in speech-language pathology. SLPs are already trained to observe behavior and analyze outcomes. Ethnography simply brings those skills into a new frame. It helps us see the cultural "baseline"-how things are before therapy begins. We gather data through interviews, surveys, media, products, even social media posts. These details tell the story of the culture. Then, when therapy begins, we can track how those cultural factors impact the success or challenges of intervention.

Why Does It Matter? You might wonder: why add this extra task for the SLP? Because culture shapes everything. Motivation, priorities, access to care, family involvement, and even the definition of success-all are influenced by cultural context. When we understand this, we don't just treat speech or language. We treat the whole person, in their environment. Maybe we aren't part of the culture. Maybe we're just visiting. But visitors can learn. Visitors can listen. Visitors can show respect. Ethnography isn't just a tool. It's a mindset-and one we need now more than ever.