Doing Critical Ethnography

"The book offers communication researchers some of the best recent work on qualitative inquiry in the human disciplines. . . . Published by Sage, the leading publisher of qualitative research in the social sciences today. . . . Jim Thomas′s method, well displayed in illustrations drawn from his emancipatory work in prisons, has important connections to the participatory action (Friere) and critical theory traditions. . . . This work brings the communication scholar up-to-date on where qualitative methods are in current sociological and educational discourse." --Norman K. Denzin in Journal of Communication If a researcher′s responsibility entails the righting of social wrongs and producing valid research results, how is it possible to juxtapose these two goals? Representing the marriage of two traditions in social science, critical theory and qualitative research, Doing Critical Ethnography applies a critical worldview to the conventional logic of cultural inquiry. This innovative volume does not oppose conventional ethnography; rather, it offers a style of thinking about the direct relationship between knowledge, society, and political action. The author defines the rules and guidelines for a praxis-oriented ethnographic tradition, one both ideologically engaged and scientifically valid. He also outlines the various types of critical ethnography and explains the tenets of each and how research can be carried out under these frameworks. This challenging volume will be useful to students and professionals in qualitative research in social theory, and critical studies.

Whilst exploring the ethics of ethnography, this book illustrates the relevance of performance ethnography across disciplinary boundaries, exploring links between theory & method, various theoretical concepts & a number of methodological techniques.

In this book, Fitzpatrick and May make the case for a reimagined approach to critical ethnography in education. Working with an expansive understanding of critical, they argue that many researchers already do the kind of critical ethnography suggested in this book, whether they call their studies critical or not. Drawing on a wide range of educational studies, the authors demonstrate that a methodology that is lived, embodied, and personal—and fundamentally connected to notions of power—is essential to exploring and understanding the many social and political issues facing education today. By grounding studies in work that reimagines, troubles, and questions notions of power, injustice, inequity, and marginalization, such studies engage with the tenets of critical ethnography. Offering a wide-ranging and insightful commentary on the influences of critical ethnography over time, Fitzpatrick and May interrogate the ongoing theoretical developments, including poststructuralism, postcolonialism, and posthumanism. With extensive examples, excerpts, and personal discussions, the book thus repositions critical ethnography as an expansive, eclectic, and inclusive methodology that has a great deal to offer educational inquiries. Overviewing theoretical and methodological arguments, the book provides insight into issues of ethics and positionality as well as an in-depth focus on how ethnographic research illuminates such topics as racism, language, gender and sexuality in educational settings. It is essential reading for students, scholars, and researchers in qualitative inquiry, ethnography, educational anthropology, educational research methods, sociology of education, and philosophy of education.

Doing Sensory Ethnography responds to a recent an explosion of interest in the senses across the social sciences. Sarah Pink suggests re-thinking the ethnographic process through reflexive attention to what she terms the 'sensoriality' of the experience, practice and knowledge of both researchers and those who participate in their research. The book provides an accessible discussion and analysis of the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of doing sensory ethnography, drawing on examples and case studies from the growing literature on sensory ethnographic studies, and from the author's own work. Doing Sensory Ethnography is the first book to concentrate on outlining a sensory ethnographic methodology. It will be of great interest to researchers and students from all disciplines interested in enriching their ethnographic work through a focus on the senses.

Ethnographic methods are becoming increasingly prevalent in contemporary educational research. Critical Ethnography in Educational Research provides both a technical, theoretical guide to advanced ethnography--focusing on such concepts as primary data collection and system relationships--and a very practical guide for researchers interested in conducting actual studies.

One of the world's most distinguished authorities on qualitative research establishes the connection of performance narratives with performance ethnography and autoethnography, the linkage of these formations to critical pedagogy and critical race theory, and the histories of these formations.

By using critical ethnographic research to explore the practices and policies that sustain a residential outdoor school in the United States, this book problematizes the relationship between science education and climate change politics in the United States. Weaving together empirical data from fieldwork with theoretical resources spanning the sciences and humanities, this book demonstrates how community activism, political alliances, and policy changes have guaranteed the survival of an outdoor school in Oregon. This example enables artful reexamination of the relationship between science education, politics, and policy more broadly, as well as the relation of science education to climate change politics in particular. Gleason ultimately reconstructs science education towards epistemic and ontological pluralism, and illustrates how critical ethnographic research can instigate a reimagining of the relationship between curriculum and how we relate to the world. This book will benefit researchers, academics, and educators in higher education with an interest in the philosophical underpinnings and implications of science education, environmental education, and educational policy more broadly. Those specifically interested in critical ethnographic research will also benefit from this book.

What is critical ethnography? How do we use theory to interpret research data? What is performance ethnography? Readers can find answers to these fundamental questions in D. Soyini Madison′s engaging and highly multidisciplinary Third Edition of Critical Ethnography: Methods, Ethics, and Performance. The book presents a fresh new look at critical ethnography by emphasizing the significance of ethics and performance in the art and politics of fieldwork. The productive links between theory and method are celebrated in this title. Theoretical concepts range from queer theory, feminist theory, and critical race theory to Marxism and phenomenology. The methodological techniques range from designing and asking in-depth interview questions and developing rapport to coding and interpreting data. The various theories and methods culminate in three fictional ethnographic case studies that "enact" the interdependence between theory and method and the significance of social theory, ethics, and performance. Key Features: Cutting-edge approach and perspective: It is the first book to explore and focus on the intersections between theory, fieldwork methods, performance, and praxis. Global examples and material: Theories, methods, and examples are drawn from scholarship that extends beyond the West to include developing world and post-colonial thinkers and practitioners. Effective pedagogy: Examples of ethnographic projects illustrate more abstract or complex discussions and concepts. Critical Ethnography reaches out to any student conducting field research. In particular, upper-division undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in ethnography, qualitative research methods, critical/cultural research methods, or advanced research methods will find this book to be of great value.