Definition of ground for Students. 1  1 : the surface of the earth Leaves fell to the ground. 2  2 : 2soil 1, earth The beans themselves popped out of the ground. 3  3 : the bottom of a body of water The boat struck ground.  4 : an area of land sacred 1  ground. 5 : an area used for some purpose a hunting ground.
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that involves comparative study of cultures and the analysis of that data to propose theoretical frameworks for better understanding cultural phenomena. Ethnographies are the studies that provide the raw data which ethnology analyzes to develop theories of culture.
--Marvin Harris and OrnaJohnson, 2000.Ethnography is the art and science of describing a group or culture. Thedescription may be of a small tribal group in an exotic land or a classroom inmiddle-class suburbia.. --David M. Fetterman, 1998.Ethnography is a social science research method.