Varenne: TF5016 -- Ethnography of the Classroom -- VI What are we to mean by "culture" in ethnographic description. What are the issues to consider when deciding to look at a particular instance as relevant to an institutionalized historical a pattern, i.e. a "culture" as an object of some sort.

1.
2. case is instance of a type, typical? This is only partially a sampling issue (though Tobin, like most, treat it as such)
3. case is instance of sub-(sub-sub-)type, must the significant (structural) units are those of the main time locally transformed for any number of reasons, including an explicit refusal by the local group to bend to the explicit requirements of the type.
4. the explicit ideologies and values (as expressed in such documents as the first paragraphy of St. Timothy's mission (Tobin p. 137)
5. evidence that all (many? in all settings or ways of asking?) agree with each other on major idiological matters.
6. evidence that much that is constructed is constructed with the signifying units made available by "the culture" (e.g. participants' explanation of some behavior in term of "the development of individuals")
7. evidence that controversies are framed in terms of the signifying units ("this is(not) the way to develop individual talents")
evidence that matters people complain about (and the suggested solutions) are effects of one of the signifying units.

I discuss these matters extensively elsewhere