Ethnography: A Way of Seeing [Hardcover]

One of anthropology's leading writers on ethnographic methods, Harry Wolcott discusses the fundamental nature of ethnographic studies. Tracing its development from its disciplinary origins in sociology and anthropology, he points out what is distinctive about ethnography and what it means to conduct research in the ethnographic tradition. In this engaging and thought-provoking book, Wolcott distinguishes ethnography as more than just a set of field methods and practices, separating it from many related qualitative research traditions as 'a way of seeing' through the lens of culture. For both beginning and experienced ethnographers in a wide range of disciplines, Wolcott's book will provide important ideas for improving research practice.Harry F. Wolcott (1929-2012) was professor emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Oregon and a leading author in anthropology and research methods. Wolcott's major works include anthropological studies of American education: Teachers Versus Technocrats and The Man in the Principal's Office: An Ethnography. He also wrote extensively on fieldwork and writing: Transforming Qualitative Data; The Art of Fieldwork; Ethnography: A Way of Seeing; and Writing Up Qualitative Data and is the author of the more recent Sneaky Kid and Its Aftermath: Ethics and Intimacy in Fieldwork (all published by AltaMira Press).

This second edition draws readers closer to Wolcott's vision of the interpretive stance that underlies ethnography. In an era when ethnographers may be challenged to articulate how their work contributes to different kinds of knowledge, this book shows the way. Peter Demerath, University of Minnesota; former president, Council on Anthropology and Education

This casual yet informed synthesis, written in an egaging style, is what sets Wolcott's book apart from the humdrum of texts that discuss methods formally, often in a staccato, bland, and abstracted tone, usually detatched from application....Woll<