Critical Design Ethnography: Designing for Change
In this article, the authors are reflecting on the challenges and opportunities they have faced when they got engaged in critical design ethnography, which they refer to as “a process that sits at the intersection of participatory action research, critical ethnography, and socially responsive instructional design.”The research included many investigations and ethnographic studies that would hopefully facilitate social change through empowering groups and individuals.
They also further explain the idea by saying "In contrast to traditional ethnographic design research in which the researcher seeks primarily to understand (not change) the conditions of the community being studied, participatory action research assumes a critical stance, in which the researcher becomes a change agent who is collaboratively developing structures intended to critique and support the transformation of the communities being studied.” |
The authors also not only talk about their experience in particular but also the idea itself which appears to be a crucial point for anyone who is trying to hack the world of effective design that solves specific problems. What appears to be inspiring about their process is that they have integrated the anthropological world with the world of design, which absolutely makes perfect sense, and they have explained why this is effective by saying “While uncommon in design work, we consider this anthropology inspired approach to be more respectful and more likely to yield the sophisticated nuanced understandings required for developing appropriate designs than when we limit our contact with the target.”
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This is a research article written by Sasha Barab, Michael K. Thomas, Tyled Dodge, Kurt Squire and Markeda Newell. “ Anthropology & Education Quarterly” Vol. 35, No.2 (Jun., 2004)