Ethnography and its potential for studying the social in social pharmacy: An example of autonomy and pharmaceuticals in eldercare

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

Studying the social aspects of pharmaceuticals is an inherent part of the field of social pharmacy. Ethnography as a methodology provides a lens to guide researchers on this endeavor by offering richer insights into “real world practices” of professionals, patients and relatives compared to other methods. With a focus on meaning making, ethnography goes beyond descriptions and promotes theory-informed interpretations. Therefore, this methodology can lead to new understandings of medicine use in practice and in policy making. This article provides a brief introduction to ethnography, especially in relation to doing participant observation and fieldwork. An example from an ethnographic fieldwork on Danish home care for frail elderly is used to illustrate how ethnography can be applied, while focusing on three key features of ethnographic analysis: Thick descriptions, analytical generalizability and reflexivity.
Bidragets oversatte titelEtnografiens potentiale for studier af sociale aspekter af samfundsfarmaci: Et eksempel om autonomi og lægemidler i ældreplejen
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftResearch in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
Vol/bind18
Udgave nummer1
Sider (fra-til)2151-2156
ISSN1551-7411
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2022

ID: 260544235