Ethnography, the study of people and cultures, does not just take personal experience into account; it also observes the phenomenon under investigation. These observations allow researchers to see behavior in the context in which it takes place, as well as to understand participants’ perspectives.

The annual qualitative research course organized by the ATLANTES Program of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) chose to address ethnography during its 2018 edition. Qualitative research allows for an approach to reality that takes into account people’s current perspectives— necessary actors in the events that make up a reality— and study them.

According to the course organizers, the context in which people live and the meaning they assign to their experiences influences how they behave and, specifically, how they experience health and disease processes. They add that, from these premises, qualitative research can be of great value to professionals who develop their work in a variety of contexts.

It can be applied to education, psychology, journalism, management, and healthcare... The ATLANTES Program highlights that, for this work, focused ethnography has an important role in research that is developed considering the influence of culture in order to propose culturally appropriate initiatives and solutions.

The course instructors included Carole Robinson, professor in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus (Canada), Olga López de Dicastillo, professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Navarra, and María Arantzamendi and Carla Reigada, both ATLANTES Program researchers.

Participants included professionals from institutions such as the WeCare Chair of the International University of Catalonia, the Manacor Hospital, 4DHealth Innovation Simulation Center, San Juan de Dios Hospital, the Public University of Navarra and various centers within the University of Navarra.