From Notes to Narrative: Writing Ethnographies That Everyone Can Read

by Kristen R. Ghodsee

Ethnography centers on the culture of everyday life. So it is ironic that most scholars who do research on the intimate experiences of ordinary people write their books in a style that those people cannot understand. In recent years, the ethnographic method has spread from its original home in cultural anthropology to fields such as sociology, marketing, media studies, law, criminology, education, cultural studies, history, geography, and political science.  Yet, while more and more students and practitioners are learning how to write ethnographies, there is little or no training on how to write ethnographies well.

  From Notes to Narrative picks up where methodological training leaves off.  Kristen Ghodsee, an award-winning ethnographer, addresses common issues that arise in ethnographic writing. Ghodsee works through sentence-level details, such as word choice and structure. She also tackles bigger-picture elements, such as how to incorporate theory and ethnographic details, how to effectively deploy dialogue, and how to avoid distracting elements such as long block quotations and in-text citations. She includes excerpts and examples from model ethnographies. The book concludes with a bibliography of other useful writing guides and nearly one hundred examples of eminently readable ethnographic books.

Genres: Anthropology, Writing, Ethnography, Research, Nonfiction, Grad School

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2016

About the author

Kristen R. Ghodsee an award-winning author and ethnographer. She is professor of Russian and East European Studies and a member of the Graduate Group in Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been translated into over twenty-five languages and has appeared in publications such as Foreign Affairs, Dissent, Jacobin, Ms. Magazine, The New Republic, Le Monde Diplomatique, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, She is the author of 12 books, and she is the host of the podcast, A.K. 47, which discusses the works of the Russian Bolshevik, Alexandra Kollontai. Her latest book is Everyday Utopia: What 2000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life, which appeared with Simon & Schuster in May 2023.

She loves popcorn, manual typewriters, and Bassett hounds.

Website: www.kristenghodsee.com
Podcast: ak47.buzzsprout.com

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typically, after reading these "how-to" academic books, I feel let down. They teach me one or two memorable tips, but they mostly feel like a waste of time. Luckily, Ghodsee's book bulges with helpful hints that challenge me to improve my writing. For instance, I am avoiding writing "weak verbs" in this review (even though several of them already pepper it). Perhaps it was the right book at the write time. I struggle with portraying my data without being overly descriptive or overly obtuse. But this book provides some ways forward. She shows how fiction and nonfiction stylistic insights can enliven the deadest of fieldnotes. Most of all the book reminded me that writing a readable book is a laudable and obtainable goal. I recommend it.

[Cristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tras haber leído un libro de metodología en el que el principal objetivo parecía que fuese que no se pudiese leer, es liberador entablar conversación con un libro que problematiza precisamente eso. Entre otras muchas cosas. La autora trabaja propiamente como etnógrafa, pero este libro es una joya para todo investigador amateur que precise de algunos consejos para crear expectativas, ser original y entregar narrativas atractivas para sus, seguramente, también atractivos temas de investigación.

El libro es útil, fresco, corto, sencillo y, siendo sincera con su objetivo, comprensible y atractivo. Toma notas de este libro porque te aseguro que algún consejo se te va a quedar.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very readable, what else would one expect?

It was useful in breaking up the components of ethnographic writing and showing ways in which it can be improved. It highlighted throughout the ways in which it is a process, and like any skill will build over time. I enjoyed the way Ghodsee placed herself in the writing, and enjoyed her familiar yet distinctive voice throughout the text.

I think this should be a staple for undergraduate students and up in ethnographic subjects. I envisage revisiting it many times over the course of my fieldwork and thesis.

[maia]

this was a quick and easy to understand read about the ethnographic writing process - from fieldnotes to narrative. i will definitely be coming back to this the next 6-ish months while i navigate turning my fieldnotes into an actual theoretically and ethnographic based thesis (help) - especially the "10 steps to writing" she shared in the last chapter!!


no rating bc it's an academic read, and i only rate fiction 🫶🏻

[Jan D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems to be one of the best practical advice books on writing ethnographies. "Writing ethnographic fieldnotes" is a classic, but it was a bit hard for me to imagine my fieldnotes in the context of use: What comes before, what after? "Writing for Social Scientists" by Becker is great, but it does not focus on ethnographies pe se (It gives a lot of helpful tips to understand implicit academic politics and fears, though. Recommended for making sense of this mess).
From "Notes to Narratives" is very much non-abstract and talks about what you, as an ethnographer produce and what you do with it, that is, how you go from notes to the narrative of your paper or monography. For the academically annoyed there are also some great rants on convoluted writing.

[Marion Lougheed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good writing advice for anybody, but geared towards academics (which is definitely needed). As a writer myself, a lot of it was basic, but it was interesting to see how Ghodsee applies it to writing ethnographies. She's engaging and uses lots of concrete examples, so I could definitely see this being useful for people coming up through university.

[Jenny J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethnographic books mentioned that I'd be interested in reading
- Coming of Age in Samoa / Margaret Mead
- The Chrysanthemum and the Sword / Ruth Benedict
- The Too-Good Wife / Amy Borovoy
- Translated Woman / Ruth Behar
- Privatizing Poland / Elizabeth Dunn
- Developing Skill, Developing Vision: Practices of Locality at the Foot of the Alps / Cristina Grasseni
- Nightwork / Anne Allison

[Jeremy Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the title fool you - this is a lovely little book for anyone writing up interviews or field observations, or indeed for any academic writer. Ghodsee provides practical and specific tips to make your writing exciting and vivid, using her own pitfalls and follies as examples.

[Federica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone about to start fieldwork. Ghodsee's short book is filled with valuable advice on how to take notes and how to transform them into ethnography.

[Katherine Stevick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent practical advice

[Amy Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that Ghodsee writes in the way she teaches to write. It's very engaging, and I appreciate her realness.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my attention at the community college where I work. I thought it would serve as a useful primer for someone whose ethnography experience is slight so I borrowed it from the library. I didn't realize how fun it would be to read. The best practices and tips can easily apply to many kinds of writing. From Notes to Narrative will definitely find its way into my amazon cart in the near future.