Ethnographic Analysis Paper

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Understanding the Localization of Ethnic Food Using Thai Cuisine as a Lens The recent proliferation of ethnic restaurants shows how unfamiliar foods are introduced or “localized” to meet the particular tastes of American consumers. I will focus on Thai ethnic cuisine and will analyze the significance of hybridization and local adaptation in shaping our perceptions about the authenticity and exoticness of Thai cuisine. I will use my ethnographic experience at Spice Thai Restaurant in Harvard Square as a lens. I seek to answer the following questions: Does the way in which certain foods are included and the décor of the restaurant appear as marks of a particular ethnic group and do they show a degree of hybridization or local…show more content…
These notes have been transcribed in my field notes. I also conducted brief interviews with employees in the restaurant to acquire emic perspectives and took photos with the permission of the manager. In order to ensure human subjects’ protection, I do not include names. I received verbal confirmation from each interviewee that their responses could be included in my paper. I conducted my ethnographic observations over the course of several days. During my fieldwork experiences, I recorded observations on customer behavior, the general layout of the restaurant, and particular details of the menu and…show more content…
After noticing that all the employees were Asian, I interviewed a waitress, and she told me that all the employees were Thai. A group next to me actually conversed with the waitress in Thai. An old Thai woman was always present during my fieldwork experience, providing the sense that this is a family run restaurant, even if the employees are not actually related. The sense that everyone who works here is Thai serves as a further ethnic symbol to local consumers and authenticates the Thai nature of this

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