Ethnography in Action: A Mixed Methods Approach(Ethnographer's Toolkit, Second Edition)

This is Book 7 of 7 in the Ethnographer's Toolkit, Second Edition. In Ethnography in Action, Jean J. Schensul and Margaret D. LeCompte explore how ethnographic research intersects with and enhances numerous areas of practice. Schensul and LeCompte ground this book in the understanding that all applied or practice-oriented social science must be collaborative to be effective. Showing how informal and formal ethnographic methods and knowledge contribute to the arenas in which ethnographers work, the authors cover both the typical practice settings raised in earlier books in the series and introduce two emerging arenas of concern: long-term fieldwork and participatory action research. With its methodological focus and skillful integration of guidelines, checklists, examples, and resources, Book 7 offers a unique guide to the practice of mixed methods ethnography over time and with community involvement. Other books in the set: Book 1: Designing and Conducting Ethnographic Research: An Introduction, Second Edition by Margaret D. LeCompte and Jean J. Schensul 9780759118690 Book 2: Initiating Ethnographic Research: A Mixed Methods Approach by Stephen L. Schensul, Jean J. Schensul, and Margaret D. LeCompte 9780759122017 Book 3: Essential Ethnographic Methods: A Mixed Methods Approach, Second Edition by Jean J. Schensul and Margaret D. LeCompte 9780759122031 Book 4: Specialized Ethnographic Methods: A Mixed Methods Approach edited by Jean J. Schensul and Margaret D. LeCompte 9780759122055 Book 5: Analysis and Interpretation of Ethnographic Data: A Mixed Methods Approach, Second Edition by Margaret D. LeCompte and Jean J. Schensul 9780759122079 Book 6: Ethics in Ethnography: A Mixed Methods Approach by Margaret D. LeCompte and Jean J. Schensul 9780759122093

About the Author :
Jean J. Schensul is founding director and senior scientist at the Institute for Community Research in Hartford, Connecticut. Margaret D. LeCompte is professor emerita of education and sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Review :
Ethnography in Action is an indispensable resource for community-based researchers, whether experienced or just starting off. It lights the way for any social scientist who desires to work alongside community members in mapping power dynamics, theorizing paths for social change, and communicating research beyond the academy. As ethnographers search for ways to make their research relevant to multiple publics, Jean Schensul and Margaret LeCompte provide a definitive treatment of collaborative, participatory ethnographic research. In clear, accessible language, the authors lead readers through the interfaces of research, theory, and praxis in which ethnography is a partnership designed to effect sustainable social change. Chock full of concrete examples from the authors’ extensive ethnographic work, they address challenging issues of identifying research questions in tandem with local stakeholders, developing locally informed theory, designing ethnographic evaluations, and impacting public policy. There are lessons for those who teach applied ethnography as well. In a world in which solutions to problems must increasingly embrace the local and the global, Ethnography in Action is an indispensable guide to conducting principled and effective action research.