Ethnographies Revisited: Constructing Theory in the Field

Ethnographies Revisited provides first-hand accounts of how leading qualitative researchers crafted key theoretical concepts found in their major book-length ethnographies. Great ethnographic research lies not in the rigid execution of prescribed methodological procedures, but on the unrelenting cultivation of theoretical ideas. These contributors focus squarely on this neglected topic, providing reflexive accounts of how research decisions were made in light of emerging theoretical questions.

The continuous generation of creative concepts is arguably the most important skill in developing powerful results in field research, since the originality of the ideas produced is how the study is ultimately judged. Yet, this topic is often taken for granted, treated rigidly and artificially, or is entirely absent from existing qualitative research manuals. In contrast, this volume offers candid insights of how leading ethnographers generated their initial questions, chose their research sites, made theoretical and methodological adjustments, and oriented their research to maximize the conceptual payoff, leading to such successful research contributions. This provides a fresh approach to the topic of qualitative research, by linking practical decisions in the field to the dynamic features of theory in the making, told through the first-hand experiences of some of the best ethnographers in our field.

Antony J. Puddephatt is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Lakehead University in Canada. He is interested in sociological theory, science and technology, and ethnographic research. He conducted a field study of amateur chess, and has written on G.H. Mead’s neglected sociology of science.

William Shaffir is Professor of Sociology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. He received his Ph.D. degree from McGill University. He is the author and co-author of books and journal articles in the areas of Hassidic Jewry, medical student socialization and professionalization, field research methods, ethnic violence, the social psychology of messianic revivalism, and religious affiliation and disaffiliation among newly-observant and formerly haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews. A recently completed study examined defeated politicians and how they cope with and rationalize defeat at the polls. Along with a colleague, he has conducted field research on a police service to examine the dynamics of racial profiling. His current research continues to focus on the challenges facing Hassidic Jewry as it confronts modernity.

Steven W. Kleinknecht is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Brescia University College in London, Ontario, Canada. His research interests lie in the study of subcultures, deviance, and online interaction. He has conducted ethnographic research on computer hackers and Old Order Mennonites.