Editing Ethnography (section)

===Other fields===
The American anthropologist [[George Spindler]] was a pioneer in applying the ethnographic methodology to the classroom.

Anthropologists such as [[Daniel Miller (anthropologist)|Daniel Miller]] and [[Mary Douglas]] have used ethnographic data to answer academic questions about consumers and consumption. In this sense, Tony Salvador, [[Genevieve Bell]], and Ken Anderson describe design ethnography as being "a way of understanding the particulars of daily life in such a way as to increase the success probability of a new product or service or, more appropriately, to reduce the probability of failure specifically due to a lack of understanding of the basic behaviors and frameworks of consumers."<ref>Salvador, Tony; Genevieve Bell; and Ken Anderson (1999) "Design Ethnography," ''Design Management Journal'' (pp. 35-41). p. 37</ref> Sociologist Sam Ladner argues in her book,<ref>{{cite book|title =Practical Ethnography|first = Sam|last = Ladner|isbn = 978-1-61132-390-0|date = 2014| publisher=Left Coast Press }}</ref> that understanding consumers and their desires requires a shift in "standpoint", one that only ethnography provides. The results are products and services that respond to consumers' unmet needs.

Businesses, too, have found ethnographers helpful for understanding how people use products and services. By assessing user experience in a "natural" setting, ethnology yields insights into the practical applications of a product or service. It is one of the best ways to identify areas of friction and improve overall user experience.<ref>A Simple Guide For Conducting Consumer Research by Brian Lischer http://www.ignytebrands.com/customer-research/</ref> Companies make increasing use of ethnographic methods to understand consumers and consumption, or for new product development (such as [[video ethnography]]). The ''Ethnographic Praxis in Industry'' (EPIC) conference is evidence of this. Ethnographers' systematic and holistic approach to real-life experience is valued by product developers, who use the method to understand unstated desires or cultural practices that surround products. Where focus groups fail to inform marketers about what people really do, ethnography links what people say to what they do—avoiding the pitfalls that come from relying only on self-reported, focus-group data.