Ethnography and the generation of trust in breastfeeding disparities research

There are persistent racial/ethnic disparities in breastfeeding rates in the United States, and research is needed to examine underlying psychosocial, economic, and cultural factors. Research into health disparities is impeded by problems of distrust. This methods-focused article describes how an ethnographic approach can be used to generate trust while obtaining contextually detailed data. Examples are provided from an ethnography of infant feeding decisions among low-income, Black women. Trust-generating strategies included respectful entry into the field, recognizing and decreasing differences in power, sensitivity to time and timing, and a relational approach.