Traces the development of qualitative methodology to the Chicago School of sociologists in the 1920s. Distinguishes between qualitative methods and qualitative methodology and between anthropological and sociological approaches. Expresses concern that some types of research may co-opt the qualitative label and replace ethnography. (Author/SK)

Discusses the operation of cultural therapy in the conduct of an ethnographic study of teacher supervision and curriculum implementation in a Brazilian urban school system. Cultural therapy was an important, although not explicitly labeled, aspect of the study. (SLD)

Presents an ethnographic study of one feminist organization's efforts to personalize work relations. Argues feminist critics lend scant attention to findings from feminist practice, and scholars of feminist practice rarely consider implications for mainstream organizations. Reviews how both traditions treat impersonality. (NH)

Demonstrates the pedagogical implications of a student-conducted ethnographic interview on-site in one of Germany's new Bundeslander. Students who have had more than adequate German language preparation and who have been provided with social/historical and political background information gain lasting insights into Germans' personal perspectives…

Much recent theorizing about learning has focused on its socio-cultural nature, including the significance of history and the ontogeny of learners. This paper explores the relevance of such an approach to our understanding of the reasons why academics associate themselves with particular theoretical approaches to learning. The authors each present…

The basics of child writing, as traditionally conceived, involve "neutral" conventions for organizing and encoding language. This "basic" notion of a solid foundation for child writing is itself situated in a fluid world of cultural and linguistic diversity and rapidly changing literacy practices. In this paper, I aim to…

According to researchers, ethnographic tools can be used to reflect the details of life in any social arena. Through the experiences of a school teacher and her students, the use of ethnographic tools in the process of conflict management and learning is discussed.

This paper addresses the issue of positionality in researching the researchers own culture and discusses its epistemological implications. Drawing on the researchers own field experience in which she entered teenage cultural space, this paper is an attempt at a self reflexive analysis of the relationships between the researcher and the…

The findings of a portion of a 2-year ethnographic study involving North Indian Hindu immigrants living in the mid-Western United States is discussed. These findings illuminate the ways in which participants think and talk about mental retardation, how this linguistic information was obtained, and the cultural context within which participants…

Through a critical interpretivist frame, the authors use ethnography and archives to examine themes associated with society's ongoing denial of literate citizenship for people with perceived intellectual disabilities. They link this denial to the experiences of other devalued and marginalized groups to challenge the common perception that…

This article celebrates the life and work of David M. Smith, former Council on Anthropology and Education president and founder of the University of Pennsylvania Ethnography in Education Research Forum, tracing his contributions to the fields of linguistics, anthropology, and education through the dual lens of his ten research principles and Walt…

Policy-makers' conceptions of teacher professionalism currently differ markedly in England and Finland. In England they are shaped by agendas associated with the drive to raise standards and "commercialized professionalism" whilst in Finland they are influenced by notions of "teacher empowerment". This article analyses findings…

This article explores how organizations can prepare for crisis events by training crisis management teams (CMTs) using real-time, simulated crises. The article focuses on the impact of such training on the performance of CMTs and the manner in which such training can improve the capability of the organization to deal with adverse events. The…

In this article I argue that, when researchers record fieldnotes, they also create worldviews based on a priori perceptions and interpretations. To be culturally respectful, researchers in the field need to be concerned with both the cultural artifacts they create and with their inability to "accurately" record everything they see. It may not be…

This article acknowledges some moments of intrigue aroused during the execution of an ethnographic investigation at a high school, in Oporto, Portugal with young boys and girls. The making of this investigation aroused our reflection towards what we consider to be some intrigues and towards the Social and Human Sciences themselves,…