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Institution
Ethnographic Interview: Pre-Interview Research Assignment
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Introduction
In this ethnographic interview, I am interviewing Bernila Odessa, an international student
from the Philippines. Last year, Odessa moved into our neighborhood, and we became friends
after finding out that we were attending the same. I requested her to participate in my
ethnographic interview, and she accepted. Odessa is originally from the outskirts of Baguio,
Philippines. She moved into the United States after completing her bachelor’s degree to pursue a
master’s degree in anthropology. Before meeting at the school hall where we held our interview,
I formulated questions that I would ask Odessa and got a notebook that I would use to write
down short notes about the interview.
Worldview
Odessa’s underlying rationale is that of the Christianity religion. Her beliefs and values
are found in Christianity teachings, and they are the source of her practices. She comes from a
Christian family, and her religion partly drove her to pursue her master’s degree at Liberty
University. Although Odessa and her family relocated to the United States of America, she states
that they all subscribe to the Christian teachings and believe that she should behave morally as
required by laws that Christians need to follow. Odessa thinks that everyone is equal in the eyes
of God, as stated in Gen 1:26-28; therefore, all people should be treated equally, and one should
never treat other people as lesser people (New International Version). From my interaction with
Odessa at school and home, I can attest that her actions affirm this belief. She treats everyone
with the same kindness and respect she shows me. No one is important or less important than
others, making us all equal in Odessa’s eyes. Although Odessa is more conservative, she
genuinely loves everyone she meets. In “Introducing cultural anthropology: A Christian
perspective,” Howell and Jenell state that “Cultural relativism does not demand the acceptance of
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either moral or epistemological relativism. We can hold to Christian ethics and morality while
still acknowledging that cultures can best be understood in relation to themselves. When cultural
relativism is not practiced, people typically use the standards of their own culture to understand
others, which invariably leads to misunderstandings rooted in ethnocentrism” (p.32). I believe
that Odessa is the least ethnocentric person I have interacted with. She respects everyone treats
them equally, and she has never felt superior or treated other people as their superior.
Cultural Values and Practices
When I asked Odessa how cultural values and practices relate to societal, communication,
marital, and familial relationships, she had different answers. Regarding societal elements, she
said that one thing that stands out from her culture is the flexibility and understanding that things
will not always work out as planned. She said that she is fortunate that her parents have taught
her to come an hour earlier because no one from her society comes earlier than planned or on
time unless it is an emergency. Regarding communication, Odessa said that people from her
community tend to avoid talking arrogantly. Filipinos value humility, and they tend to remain
humble as everyone around them. Still, Odessa said that people from her culture are very touchy
in communication. Filipinos often touch other people as they talk to communicate. In addition,
Odessa said that in her culture, when talking to someone of higher social status or older than you,
one is required to be polite. However, she notes that talking politely to someone of higher social
status or older is similar to the American culture. In relation to the similarities between American
and Filipino cultures, Odessa said that basketball is a popular sport in the Philippines as it is in
America. Hudgins states that basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines (p. 3).
Concerning family relationships, Odessa said that many things in their culture are based on
family, and friendships are built on family. Family is important in the Filipino culture, which
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requires Filipinos to invite all and treat everyone like their family. The way Odessa describes
how her Filipino families treat people reminded me of a quote from the book “Cross-cultural
servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike humility” by Elmer. In this quote, Elmer states that
“the church in a multicultural world is called to bless the nations by valuing persons and cultures
in their particularity. God calls us to remind the world of the high value, and worth God has
placed on each person and on each family, ethnicity, tribe, tongue, and nation. We not only pray
for the well-being of persons, but we also seek to be in a relationship with them. Therefore the
ministry of blessing can never be an ethnocentric affair; it must be a family affair, as in “all the
families of the earth” (p. 61).
Conflict
In Odessa’s culture, people are touchy when communicating. This practice may
significantly impact Odessa’s interactions with other people, especially Americans since they
value personal space. Bonvillain states that Native Americans love personal space in verbal and
non-verbal communications (p. 77). Odessa’s culture entails being touchy when communicating
to show caring. However, being touchy may cause conflicts with other cultures, like the
American culture, where people value their personal space. Parba states that Filipinos often try to
relate with other people because they want to show and prove that they care and want genuine
relationships (p. 3). This rationale may impact Odessa’s interaction with others, especially when
they are expected to share their feelings or something they are not willing to, leading to conflicts
when they feel offended. Odessa said that when people had a conflict back in the Philippines,
they would call a mediator to help them solve their problems. Kelly and Natalija state that
mediation effectively allows conflicting parties to address their issues (p. 56).
Reflection
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Throughout this interview and analysis, my knowledge of the anthropological
perspective, participant observations, and rapport made the discussion easier and more effective.
It prepared me to prepare sufficiently, develop the best questions, and deeply explore Odessa’s
ethnography. In this analysis, I was the interviewer, while Odessa was the interviewee. The pre-
interview research and my worldview made certain that Odessa would confidently respond to the
questions I had prepared. There were no surprises.
Conclusion
Odessa’s Filipino culture is different from the American culture. Her daily life, values,
beliefs, priorities, and friendships are different. Despite having established a home in the US,
Odessa misses being in the Philippines. She misses her family, friends, and their way of life. Due
to cultural conflicts, it is hard for Odessa to take a lot of time to adjust. While she would not go
to the Philippines to pursue her master’s degree, Odessa wishes to integrate the Filipino and
American cultures to maintain unity and balance in American society.
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Bibliography
Bonvillain, Nancy. Language, culture, and communication: The meaning of messages. Rowman
& Littlefield, 2019.
Elmer, Duane. Cross-cultural servanthood: Serving the world in Christlike humility. InterVarsity
Press, 2006.
Howell, Brian M., and Jenell Williams Paris. Introducing cultural anthropology: A Christian
perspective. Baker Academic, 2010.
Hudgins, Brian. "A Basketball World." Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2002-2017 26,
no. 1 (2017): 4.
Kelly, Edward J., and Natalija Kaminskienė. "Importance of emotional intelligence in
negotiation and mediation." International Comparative Jurisprudence 2, no. 1 (2016):
55-60.
New International Version.
Parba, Jayson E. "Empowering the Filipino Language Classroom: Towards Critical Pedagogy
and Curriculum." PhD diss., University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2018.
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Appendix A
1. What do you believe about humanity and God?
2. How do cultural values and practices relate to societal, communication, marital, and
familial relationships?
3. How important is a family in your culture?
4. Do you miss home?
5. Do you love America?
6. How do your value, beliefs, and practices lead to conflict when engaging with people
from other cultures?
