Doing ethnographies

by Mike A. Crang, Ian Cook

Doing Ethnographies is an introductory and applied guide to ethnographic methods. It focuses on those methods - participant observation, interviewing, focus groups, and video/photographic work - that allow us to understand the lived, everyday world 'out there.'

In five chapters it presents a systematic overview of: first principles, preparing for fieldwork, constructing ethnographic information, analyzing field materials, and writing.

This is a guide to the issues and methods which have to be considered when doing an ethnography. Informed by the authors fieldwork experience, it demonstrates how methods work in the field and prepares the first-time ethnographer for the loss of control and direction often experienced. This is a practical guide to methods in the field, to the relation between theory, practice, and writing.

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Aliya Khasseneyeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love academic books written for non-academics! A good guidebook into ethnography for a beginner researcher. The authors write about their own experience of doing ethnography for their PhD and MA. They describe the issues they faced and give possible solutions. A useful book for me to understand what ethnographers actually do, though I don't know how i'm going to use it in my thesis proposal. It doesn't give you academic grounds for conducting the research but it's full of practical recommendations.