Anthropological methodology suggests there may be two difficulties with utilizing evaluations over and above the many outlined in several generations of evaluation utilization literature. The first - "going native" - arises when the evaluator has consciously adopted the value and belief system of those in the program he or she is…

Defines the essence of ethnographic research as describing and interpreting cultural behavior. Clarifies why some characteristics of ethnography are not defining characteristics, considers what is meant by "culture," examines the ethnographic process, and discusses the application of ethnographic methods in the educational setting. (PGD)

Critically examines assumptions in teaching in a bi-dialectal context. Presents ethnographic data from one teacher's experience teaching a summer course in Shakespearean theater in which the students were speakers of African-American English. (Author/VWL)

Ethnographic research should not be limited by categorization and typology. Disciplined self-reflection can enrich such studies through systemic examination that can lead to new insights. (SK)

Presents a theoretical framework for communities of practice and provides alternative perspectives on information technology supports for communities of practice, based on the literature and ethnographic case studies of communities of practice in two organizations. Examines how people share and construct their knowledge and how they use…

This personal narrative describes the use of ethnographic data collection as a means for its author, a New York City resident, to take stock of local reaction and response to the events of September 11 by documenting and analyzing the writings New Yorkers posted in public spaces during the 3 weeks following the attacks on the World Trade Center.…

Demonstrates how qualitative research, specifically ethnograhy, constitutes an effective means of investigating identity construction, particularly as identity is manifested through language practices. This approach illuminates the complexity of the interaction between language practices and identity. (Author/VWL)

Treats family as everyday, working vocabulary or discourse for assigning meaning to social relations. Considers social processes and descriptive conditions through which meaning is established, managed, and transcended. Presents ethnographic material to show how family is local enactment of practical reasoning substantively bounded by local…

This ethnographic study describes family and community literacy practices in a neighbourhood public library. As an intercultural research team, we observed patterns of library use and held extended conversations with librarians and neighbourhood parents about literacy activities in the library. The neighbourhood public library was a hub of…

In this article, data collected from an ethnographic study of adolescent girls growing up in the city of Las Vegas in the US is used to further our understanding of the role of mediated sex and consumer culture and in relationship to emerging adolescent female identities. Girls in this study articulated a clear sense of their abilities to make…

What is the relationship of writing to praxis, of historiography and critique to the human experiences and oppressions which are its subject matter? Is there a politics of context, as there is in practice: a duty of solidarity which requires that we bear responsibility for the reproduction of these narratives, for their use and reuse? What…

The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to explore in an inner-city kindergarten classroom how Aboriginal students' interaction patterns differ from, and are often in dissonance with, what their non-Aboriginal teacher would expect from his or her non-Aboriginal students; and (b) to explore some of the ethical tensions that we experienced as…

Two British authors reflect on the current state of qualitative research, viewed as a battlefield through roiling smoke. From a UK perspective they reflect on the perceived crisis in qualitative research in the United States. They also suggest that there are four important features that good qualitative research should rely on: problematizing…

This study examined teachers' positioning of English language learners (ELLs) and instructional strategies to support them within the Problem Solving Cycle professional development program. Using a communities of practice lens (Wenger, 2000) and building on literature related to supporting ELLs in mathematics, Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching…

This micro-ethnographic study is an exploration of the relative degree of importance of the several components of a worldview as articulated by a purposive sample of fourteen upper division students currently enrolled in advance placement classes in ACSI and WASC accredited Christian high schools in Northern California. The research design uses an…