In this volume, Thomas unites two traditions in social science - critical theory and qualitative research - in an attempt to apply a critical world view to the conventional logic of cultural inquiry. Rather than standing in opposition to traditional ethnography, it offers a style of considering the direct relationship between knowledge, society and political action. Thomas addresses the question: if the duty of the researcher entails the righting of social wrongs as well as producing valid research results, how is it possible to juxtapose the two goals? He defines the rules and guidelines for a praxis-oriented ethnographic tradition, one both ideologically engaged and scientifically valid. In addition, he outlines the various types of critical ethnography, explaining the tenets of each and how research can be carried out under these frameworks.
This text explores a range of topics, including underground literature, religious revival, and the rise of a national Jewish consciousness. It examines the ambivalent role traditionally played by the Soviet Union in both allowing cultural expression and suppressing individual religious practice.
In this volume, Paul Atkinson presents useful advice on how to read, and therefore how to write, ethnography. He examines how ethnographers create field notes and how they do interview transcriptions, inevitably revealing the author's hand. He outlines various literary conventions used in ethnographic writing and points out some of the recent experiments that have departed from traditional ethnographic style. He links these to an analysis of the contributions of postmodernist theory to ethnographic work.
Although America has been experiencing a `biracial baby boom' for the last 25 years, there has been a dearth of information about how racially mixed people identify and view themselves as well as relate to one another. Racially Mixed People in America bridges this gap and offers a comprehensive look at all the issues involved in doing research with mixed race people, all in the context of America's multiracial past and present.
The Brownsville Boys' Club and Jewish Community in Urban America, 1940-1990
Drawing heavily on the reminiscences of the Brownsville boys themselves, and skillfully integrating these with material from newspapers, books, and commentary of the time, Sorin creates an original and compelling picture of the communal and individual vitality that allowed an unusual and heartening social achievement.
The Brownsville Boys' Club and Jewish Community in Urban America, 1940-1990
Drawing heavily on the reminiscences of the Brownsville boys themselves, and skillfully integrating these with material from newspapers, books, and commentary of the time, Sorin creates an original and compelling picture of the communal and individual vitality that allowed an unusual and heartening social achievement.