民族誌與護理研究

Ethnography and Nursing Research

民族誌（ethnography）發展於人類學中，為質性研究方法之一，並已廣泛應用在諸如社會學、教育學以及護理學等學科領域。此研究方法學（methodology）主要是從當地人的角度來瞭解該文化團體的行為及觀點。傳統上，民族誌可以區分為古典民族誌、系統民族誌、詮釋民族誌以及批判民族誌。然而近年來，焦點民族誌（focused ethnography）逐漸在健康科學領域中發展形成，其主要目的在於建立護理新知以及改善護理執業。焦點民族誌是在一個單一的文化或社會場所，於有限的時間內，針對少數對象來探討特殊的問題。在蒐尋Medline、CINAHL、Eric、PsycINFO以及中文期刊篇目索引影像系統等資料庫後，發現台灣護理文獻中較少使用或探討民族誌。因此，本文最主要的目的乃針對民族誌的發展及來源作一簡介，並整理歸納發表於2000年至2005年間的相關文獻，期使台灣護理專業人士能對此研究方法學有更多的瞭解及認識，並能應用在未來的護理研究上。

Ethnography, a qualitative research method developed within the field of anthropology, has been increasingly applied to a variety of fields, including sociology, education, and nursing. Ethnography works to understand the behavior and views of a particular cultural group from that group's own perspective. Traditionally, ethnography has been differentiated into classic ethnography, systematic ethnography, interpretive ethnography, and critical ethnography. A recently developed focused ethnography studies specific issues within a single culture or social situation among a limited number of people within a specific period of time. Focused ethnography is particularly relevant to the field of health sciences and holds significant potential to contribute to nursing knowledge and to help improve nursing practice. A search of Medline, CINAHL, Eric, PsycINFO, and the Index to Chinese Periodical Literature database found that ethnography has seldom been applied or discussed in the nursing literature in Taiwan. Therefore, the aim of this article is focused on introducing ethnography and understanding the applications of ethnography in nursing research. Relevant nursing literature published between 2000 and 2005 is summarized and the authors hope that this paper will give Taiwanese nursing professionals a better appreciation of this methodology and encourage its wider application in nursing research.