This edited collection of chapters showcases original and
interdisciplinary ethnographic fieldwork in a range of international
settings; including studies of underground pub life in North East
England; Finnish hotels; and bio-scientific institutions in the
Amazonian rainforest. Informed by John Law's concept of ethnographic
"mess," this book makes a unique, empirically-informed, contribution to
an understanding of the social construction of knowledge and the role
that ethnography can and does play (Law, 2004). It provides a range of
colourful snapshots from the field, showing how different researchers
from multiple research environments and disciplines are negotiating the
practicalities, and epistemological and ethical implications, of "messy"
ethnographic practice as a means of researching "messy" social
realities.
Law notes that "social...science investigations interfere with the
world...things change as a result. The issue, then, is not to seek
disengagement but rather with how to engage" (ibid p14). Drawing on
their own situated experiences, the book's contributors address the
"messy" implications of this and also explore the (equally messy) issue
of why engage. They reflect on the process of undertaking research, and
their role in the research process as they negotiate their own position
in the field. What is ethnography "for"? What impact should, or do, we
have in the field and after we leave the research site? What about
unintended consequences? When (if ever) are we "off duty?" What does
"informed consent" mean in a constantly shifting, dynamic ethnographic
context? Is ethnography by its very nature a form of "action research?"
By providing a wide range of situated explorations of "messy
ethnographies," the book presents a unique, hands-on guide to the
challenges of negotiating ethnography in practice, which will be of use
to all researchers and practitioners who use ethnography as a method.
