In an attempt to understand a social phenomenon in a society, studies in sociology are conducted by using two kinds of approaches: Emic and Ethical Approaches.
Briefly, it can be said that Emic approach tries to understand the behavior of individuals or communities from the actor perspective (the relevant individual or community members).
Ethical approach analyzes social behavior or social symptoms of outsider view, and compares it to other cultures. Thus, ethical approach is more objective, can be measured by the size and specific indicators, while emic approach is more subjective and uses a lot of words or languages in describing the feelings of individual who becomes the object of study.
Emic study is more unique, it is difficult to be generalized broadly (Pelto, 1970). Foster added that emic approach includes efforts to communicate the state of being-in (inner psychological states) and the feelings of individuals regarding to the behavior.
The assumption of this approach is that the doer or actor knows more about the process occur in him than anyone else. The knowledge about this mental process is necessary to understand why a person does an act or why he refuses to perform such action (Foster, 1978).
Both of these approaches can be used to study inter-cultural, only ethical can provide comparisons and generalizations while emic describes the uniqueness of appreciation of each individual or group. Sociological studies usually use two approaches in order to obtain more complete description of the phenomenon under investigation. If the study uses informants to obtain ethical information, for example, anyone who comes in mutual cooperation, as well as emic for example what meant by cremation ceremony for Hindu religion.
