Writing the New Ethnography

by H.L. Goodall Jr.

Writing the New Ethnography provides a foundational understanding of the writing processes associated with composing new forms of qualitative writing in the social sciences. Goodall's distinctive style will engage and energize students, offering them provocative advice and exercises for turning qualitative data and field notes into compelling representations of social life.

Genres: Ethnography, Nonfiction, Writing

Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Harold Lloyd Goodall Jr. (Bud) was an American scholar of human communication and a writer of narrative ethnography. He was a professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. He is survived by his wife Sandra Goodall and their son, Nicolas Saylor Goodall.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best dang book on the process and practice and creation and writing of new ethnography, sometimes called narrative ethnography or autoethnography. This is more than a step by step manual, although there is a good deal of the "how-tos" in here. More importantly, the book delves into YOU as a researcher and writer: your interests, your research, your writing, your voice as a writer.

This book inspired me. I learned to hear and utilize my own writing voice (sarcastic). I learned to take risks (including writing a new ethnography on the academic job hunt). I learned to incorporate my personal interests with the practices of ethnography (punk rock culture). This book is one of the reasons I have a whole bunch of my writing published. God bless Bud Goodall.

[Margaret Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this book was very helpful. I'm hoping to write an article and a new ethnography book based on my dissertation research (summer projects), so this book was beneficial and motivating for me. I thought aspects of it were repetitive and redundant. However, as far as academic texts go, it was well written. He made his arguments for new ethnography effectively in an era in which narrative ethnographies and autoethnographies still do not get the attention I believe they warrant within the academic community. If you're interested in doing ethnographic writing, I would highly recommend this book. Dr. Goodall gives good advice on both the research and writing processes.

[Gladys Landing-Corretjer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! I wished I had read it before writing my dissertation. Scholarly writing "feels" at times like "robotic" writing. The writer follows a prescribed formula to convey the results of a research. Frankly, I have found myself reading an article many times because, I have found difficult to make a "connection" as a reader with the author. Goodall, argued that using a prose that appeals to the reader, that elicits a reaction or emotion, and that promotes learning, is what the "new" ethnography is all about. Thank you!

[Katsura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am actually depending upon this book right now in my current situation. Writing is painful and lonely process. I have to feel I am communicating with somebody, then I can continue on to write. However, it is true it is hard to feel that way in the process of writing. The practice, "writing experiments," that he introduced in the book, is very effective. I recommend every writer can find a useful encounter in this book. Read it.

[JT Hosack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Bud Goodall, although I didn't know him directly, influenced my research and my writing greatly while I was at UNCG under the instruction of Dr. Chris Poulos. I still continue to write, edit, and rewrite.

This is the "Red Bible" of autoethnography and something I will always hold dear.

What a wonderful read, and it's as easy to digest as it was influential.