Researching Culture

Introduces a range of approaches and methodological tools available for undertaking critical research. This book shows how cultural studies transcend traditional divisions between qualitative and quantitative methods and between social sciences and humanities.

The place of childhood in popular culture is one that invites new readings both on childhood itself, but also on approaches to studying childhood. Discussing different methods of researching children's popular culture, they argue that the interplay of the age of the players, the status of their popular culture, the transience of the objects, and indeed the ephemerality - and long lastingness - of childhood, all contribute to what could be regarded as a particularized space for childhood studies - and one that challenges many of the conventions of "doing research" involving children.

Trafficking Culture outlines current research and thinking on the illicit market in antiquities. It moves along the global trafficking chain from ‘source’ to ‘market’, identifying the main roles and routines involved. Using original research, the authors explore the dynamics of this ‘grey’ market, where legal and illegal goods are mixed and conflated. It compares and contrasts this illicit trade with other ‘transnational criminal markets’, such as the illegal trades in wildlife and diamonds. The analytical frames of organized crime and white-collar crime, drawn from criminology, provide a fresh perspective on a problem that has tended to be seen as archaeological, rather than criminological. Bringing insights from both disciplines together, this book represents a productive discourse between experts in these two fields, working together for several years to produce the evidence base that is reported here. Innovative forms of regulation are the most productive way to explore crime control in this field, and this book provides a series of propositions about practical crime reduction measures for the future. It will be invaluable to academics working in the fields of archaeology, criminology, art history, museum studies, and heritage. The book will also be a vital resource for professionals in the field of cultural property protection and preservation.

Language and culture are concepts increasingly found at the heart of developments in applied linguistics and related fields. Taken together, they can provide interesting and useful insights into the nature of language acquisition and expression. In this volume, Joan Kelly Hall gives a perspective on the nature of language and culture looking at how the use of language in real-world situations helps us understand how language is used to construct our social and cultural worlds.The conceptual maps on the nature of language, culture and learning provided in this text help orient readers to some current theoretical and practical activities taking place in applied linguistics. They also help them begin to chart their own explorations in the teaching and researching of language and culture.

Qualitative Research for Physical Culture is a practical guide to qualitative research methods in the multidisciplinary field of physical culture. This innovative, unique and clearly-written book provides a complete one-stop manual to designing, researching and writing an effective research project. The authors identify the '7 Ps' of research which allows the reader to navigate a clear pathway through the research process. The '7 Ps' are divded into three areas: - Design which examines the Purpose of using qualitiative methods; Paradigms of approach; and the Process of putting together a project - Doing which looks at a range of different methodological Practices and the Politics of Interpretation of such approaches - Dissemination which examines the Presentation of research and the Promise - how to judge the quality of research Exploring interviewing, textual analysis, narrative analysis and field methods such as ethnography, case studies and participatory action research, the text also includes invaluable advice on the writing process and how to critically assess the quality of research, and will be invaluable as a teaching tool or essential reference for experienced and inexperienced researchers alike.

This volume introduces and compares different concepts of culture in social movement research. It assesses their advantages and shortcomings, drawing links to anthropology, discourse analysis, sociology of emotions, narration, spatial theory, and others. Each contribution's approach is illustrated with recent cases of mobilization.

This innovative Handbook explores the complexity of cultural, conceptual and definitional issues surrounding research into organisational culture, outlining the varied frameworks and theories that underpin the field.

How is culture 'lived'? What are the best ways of investigating cultural life? This book offers practical guidance for researching cultural studies.