Walking in Rhythm - Ethnography - page 27

the group, such as the kinship or political structure. Function refers to the
social relations among members of the group. Most groups have identifiable
internal structures and an established set of social relationships that help reg-
ulate behavior. For example, a corporation typically has a formal organiza-
tional chart depicting the company's hierarchical structure and various
subgroups. A corporate organizational chart presents an idealized image of the
company and can be a useful starting point for the ethnographer studying cor-
porate culture. The chart is itself a statement about the nature of the organiza-
tion. The ethnographer's task, however, requires a more penetrating inquiry
into the informal networks and influences governing the corporation. The
ethnographer must describe the underlying structure of an organization to under-
stand its inner workings. This process is much like discovering and separating
the surface from the deep level of meaning in language. The ethnographer must
also describe the functional relationship of one part of an organization to another
to explain how the sociocultural system operates.
Unlike corporations, most cultures and subcultures rarely have explicit
organizational charts detailing their structure, functional relationships, and
interrelationships. Even inner-city gangs, however, have observable patterns:
After documenting behavior patterns during fights within the gang and
between various gangs, as well as various economic exchanges, the urban
ethnographer learns the leaders of the groups, the network of elaborate alle-
giances, and the obvious functional relationships. The functional relationship
between gang members stealing property and those fencing stolen property is
vital to gang economic survival. Similarly, allegiances arising from warring
groups over disputes related to these economic exchanges are also apparent.
(See Evans-Pritchard, 1940, for a discussion of segmentary linkages and
Keiser, 1969, as they relate to inner-city gangs.)
Ethnographers use the concepts of structure and function to guide their
inquiry. They extract information from the group under study to construct a
skeletal structure and then thread in the social functions—the muscle, flesh,
and nerves that fill out the skeleton. A detailed understanding of the underly-
ing structure of a system provides the ethnographer with a foundation on and
frame within which to construct an ethnographic description. 2
SYMBOL AND RITUAL
Ethnographers look for symbols that help them understand and describe a cul-
ture. Symbols are condensed expressions of meaning that evoke powerful feel-
ings and thoughts. A cross or a menorah represents an entire religion, and a
swastika represents a movement, whether the original Nazi movement or one