Final answer:
Descriptive writing about a culture after in-depth cultural immersion and observation by an anthropologist is called an ethnography, such as Bronislaw Malinowski's work on the kula ring of the Trobriand Islanders.
Step-by-step explanation:
Descriptive writing about a culture after many months of fieldwork is called an ethnography. Cultural anthropologists engage in extensive research, embracing the local way of life to understand a culture fully. This process involves adopting local customs, language, and habits as part of participant observation, a key component of anthropological fieldwork.
Renowned anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski's work, for example, culminated in the influential ethnography, Argonauts of the Western Pacific, which provided an in-depth look at the Trobriand Islanders' kula ring and their cultural practices. Ethnographies not only recount the findings from these immersive experiences but also analyze and interpret cultural phenomena, revealing insights that aren't immediately evident from an outsider's perspective.
Writing an ethnography requires meticulous record-keeping, often in the form of field notebooks or digital recordings, and a critical, reflective approach to cultural immersion. Such works aim to present a detailed and nuanced understanding of the cultures studied, and hence they require researchers to maintain objectivity, acknowledge any personal biases, and ensure the anonymity of their subjects throughout their work.