Ethnographic Facilitation as a Complementary Methodology for Conducting Applied Communication Scholarship

Abstract

This essay presents a methodological approach, ethnographic facilitation (EF), through which applied communication scholars (1) employ ethnographic practices to develop a rich, nuanced understanding of communication within and constitutive of groups, organizations, and/or communities; (2) intervene into communicative practices using group facilitation processes to promote change or development for the group, organization, community, and/or its members; and (3) report their findings to scholarly and relevant practitioner communities. The essay explains how EF draws on, yet differs from, and extends related methodological approaches, such as ethnography, critical ethnography, discourse tracing, and participatory action research, and integrates traditional facilitation practices with ethnography. Implications of the methodology are discussed regarding site selection, researcher conduct and relationships, techniques used to describe and facilitate communication, facilitation assessment, and dissemination of research findings. To illustrate the principles that inform this methodology, examples are included from a case study conducted with a church leadership team.

Keywords:

• Facilitation
• Engaged Scholarship
• Ethnography
• Applied Communication
• Intervention

The author wishes to thank Larry Frey for his generous support through the case study and revisions of this manuscript.

The author wishes to thank Larry Frey for his generous support through the case study and revisions of this manuscript.