What is Narrative Ethnography?
Photo by author. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2012.
When most people hear me say, “I’m an anthropologist,” it’s usually followed by, “So you dig up bones and stuff like that?” It’s frustrating to hear that in 2025, anthropology is still mostly associated with fossils and artifacts. The other day, I even came across a reel on Instagram listing college majors by highest unemployment rate, and anthropology ranked number one.
That stung a little.
But it also reminded me why I feel called to this work — to show how anthropology is not just about studying the past but understanding the living, breathing present. Especially within mission-driven organizations, anthropology offers tools for meaning-making, empathy, and internal clarity — all of which are crucial before an organization invests in branding or communications work.
Before we get into what narrative ethnography is and why it matters for organizations, let’s start with a brief overview of anthropology itself.
The Wonderful World of Anthropology
Forever grateful for the guidance and mentorship of Dr John Burdick, who introduced me to the world anthropology, for taking me on my first plane ride ever to Brazil, for making me who I am today.
In the field, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 2009
Anthropology focuses on human behavior, culture, and the ways we create meaning — why we believe what we believe and do what we do.
Anthropologists use various methods to explore how people experience their worlds, and one of the most recognized approaches is ethnography — the in-depth study of people and cultures through participation, observation, and listening. The goal is to understand the world through the lens of the people living it, rather than imposing outside assumptions or frameworks.
After more than a decade in nonprofit marketing, I realized that anthropology offers something the sector urgently needs but rarely accesses: a way to understand internal identity before external strategy.
What Is Narrative Ethnography?
Narrative ethnography builds on traditional ethnography by focusing on stories — the way individuals and organizations communicate their experiences, identities, and values.
A narrative ethnographer conducts fieldwork — such as interviews, observations, and immersion within a group — to understand how people make meaning through the stories they tell. In an organizational setting, this might involve spending time with staff, joining meetings, listening to informal conversations, and exploring how the team’s shared language reflects their collective identity.
Narrative ethnography helps surface not just what an organization does, but who it understands itself to be.
Why Narrative Ethnography Matters for Organizations
Every organization has two versions of its story:
The emic perspective — how people inside the organization describe and understand their work.
The etic perspective — how outsiders, funders, or clients perceive that same work.
Narrative ethnography helps bridge those two viewpoints. It gives organizations a way to explore and articulate their authentic identity before hiring a brand strategist, marketing consultant, or communications firm.
Let’s take an example.
Imagine an organization focused on workforce development for high school and college students. Many of its employees might have gone through similar programs themselves — experiences that fuel their dedication and connection to the mission. Through narrative ethnography, these stories emerge. They reveal the personal motivations, shared values, and cultural heartbeat that make the organization more than just a service provider — they show how meaning is created and lived every day.
That understanding becomes powerful fuel. When teams see themselves reflected in their story, internal alignment strengthens. People rediscover their “why,” communication becomes more authentic, and innovation grows from within.
During graduate school at The New School for Social Research, I participated in a three month international field program where I worked with a local youth development community center in City of God, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
“If your team can’t clearly articulate what makes you different, no amount of external marketing strategy will solve that internal narrative confusion.”
Why Hire a Narrative Ethnographer?
In a landscape where nonprofits are constantly asked to prove their impact and differentiate themselves, narrative ethnography offers something deeper: self-definition.
Instead of relying on outside consultants to tell you who you are, narrative ethnography helps your organization discover and articulate its own identity. It uncovers the internal stories and shared language that define your culture and impact — insights that no marketing framework or rebrand can replicate.
An ethnographer doesn't arrive with pre-set templates or metrics. Instead, they immerse themselves in your world — joining meetings, observing daily interactions, and listening deeply to how your team communicates and collaborates. From this, they help distill a straightforward, authentic narrative rooted in lived experience, not external expectation.
This process empowers organizations to:
Align teams around a shared purpose.
Articulate what makes your work distinct and meaningful.
Build stronger communications rooted in lived values.
Strengthen culture before investing in external strategy.
When an organization owns its story from within, every message that follows — whether it's a grant application, a campaign, or a recruitment effort — feels more grounded, intentional, and real.
I’ve worked for many years as an in-house marketing professional for mission-driven organizations. Here is my takeaway: there are excellent marketing strategists, brand and business development consultants, and communications experts who can help you craft compelling campaigns, improve visibility, and reach new audiences. Their work is valuable—essential, even.
But if your team can't clearly articulate what makes you different—if your board describes your work one way, your staff another way, and your funders hear something else entirely—no amount of external marketing strategy will solve that internal narrative confusion.
You need the foundation first.
That's where narrative ethnography comes in. It's the work that happens BEFORE you hire external consultants. This deep, ethnographic discovery that helps you understand and articulate your authentic identity from the inside. Once you have that clarity, marketing strategies land better. Brand campaigns feel authentic. Communications resonate because they're rooted in something real.
Narrative ethnography doesn't replace external marketing. It prepares you for it.
Rediscovering Your Fire
Narrative ethnography is not just research; it’s a process of discovery. It allows mission-driven organizations to see themselves clearly again — to understand who they are, what they believe, and why their work matters.
Your organization is unique. Your fire is yours, and yours alone. Let’s make sure your team feels it — so that those who depend on you can feel it too.