A moral dilemma facing ethnographers is trying to be conscious not to affect the data by placing their values and assumptions on it. Since ethnographers observe behavior and practices in other people, they have to be careful about putting their prejudices on to the observations. It is human tendency to naturally judge and categorize people based on outward appearance and behavior. I think ethnographers need to become more mindful when processing information and be active listeners while conducting their research.
Another dilemma facing ethnographers is whether to conduct their research covertly or overtly. If they go “undercover” and observe subjects without their knowledge, ethnographers may feel that they are essentially deceiving their subjects. If they are found out then it raises the issue of trust. On the other hand, if they take on an overt role, subjects are aware of being observed and may alter their behavior accordingly and cause results to be biased. In my opinion, ethnographers need to decide which approach is best suited for the research and work accordingly.
Finally ethnographers face the dilemma of having to make sure that they make accurate observations. According to Trenholm, the key to resolving this is by taking accurate and insightful observations and recording everything in field notes. They need to write down their own feelings and interpretations too, so that it can be used in analyzing the data. I think ethnographers should gather results from a large sample pool to avoid errors and make sure these results can be repeated if conducted again.
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