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Using an Adaptive Methodology to Study Human–Animal Interactions in Cultural Context

ABSTRACT This paper presents an adaptive methodology to study child–pet interactions in diverse cultural groups. A systematic and procedural guideline, in the form of a process flow which graphically encapsulates the abstractions of the ethnographic research paradigm is presented. The methodology is based on the iterative and self-corrective features of the ethnographic approach, and is shown to be effective in uncovering detailed and culturally nuanced data. The approach involves adaptations, if needed, during the course of research as opposed to strict application of initial designs that may prove to be culturally inappropriate or irrelevant. The iterative nature of the process involves the following recurring cycle of collection of data, analysis, check for validation, and if not satisfactory, adaptation leading back to collection of more data. This cycle repeats until valid results are found. This methodology was used in the context of a 3-year study which involved 90 children from six different cultural groups. The effectiveness of the approach was determined by its ability to discover holistic and richer understanding of the subject matter, and address the complexity and dynamics of child–pet interactions in different cultures. A few examples of findings are also presented to illustrate this approach.