Interrogating Ethnography - Why Evidence Matters

In this comprehensive review of urban ethnography, Steven Lubet encountered a field that relies heavily on anonymous sources, often as reported by a single investigator whose underlying data remain unseen. Upon digging into the details, he discovered too many ethnographic assertions that were dubious, exaggerated, tendentious, or just plain wrong. Employing the tools and techniques of a trial lawyer, Lubet uses original sources and contemporaneous documentation to explore the stories behind ethnographic narratives. Many turn out to be accurate, but others are revealed to be based on rumors, folklore, and unreliable hearsay.

Interrogating Ethnography explains how qualitative social science would benefit from greater attention to the quality of evidence, and provides recommendations for bringing the field more closely in line with other fact-based disciplines such as law and journalism.

List of contents

• Preface


• Introduction: The Ethnographic Trial


• Chapter One: Testimony


• Chapter Two: Opinion and Documentation


• Chapter Three: Unreliability


• Chapter Four: Credulity


• Chapter Five: Selectivity


• Chapter Six: Rumors and Folklore


• Chapter Seven: Anonymity


• Chapter Eight: Criminality


• Conclusion: Toward Evidence-Based Ethnography

About the author

Steven Lubet is the Williams Memorial Professor of Law at Northwestern University. He is the author of fifteen books and over 120 articles on the history, ethics, and practice of law.

Summary

In Interrogating Ethnography, Steven Lubet uses the tools and techniques of a trial lawyer to explore the stories behind ethnographic narratives, many of which turn out to be dubious, exaggerated, tendentious, or just plain wrong.

Product details

• Authors: Steven Lubet, Steven (Professor of Law Lubet, Lubet Steven
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.01.2018
• EAN: 9780190655679
• ISBN: 978-0-19-065567-9
• No. of pages: 214
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; Sociology, Sozialforschung und -statistik, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Research, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, LAW / Research, Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography, Social and cultural anthropology, Social research & statistics, Social research and statistics, Law & society, Law and society, sociology of law, Primary sources of law, Law of science and research, university college law