The SAGE Handbook of Fieldwork
- Dick Hobbs - London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
- Richard Wright - University of Missouri, St Louis, USA
--Chris Pole, University of Leicester
Fieldwork is widely practiced but little written about, yet accounts of the exotic, mundane, complex and often dangerous are central to not only sociology and anthropology but also geography, social psychology and criminology. In all these - increasingly overlapping - fields, experience underlies any comprehensive understanding of social life.
The SAGE Handbook of Fieldwork presents the first major overview of this method in all its variety, introducing the reader to the strengths, weaknesses, and 'real world' applications of fieldwork techniques. Its 22 carefully chosen chapters are each based on a substantive field of empirical enquiry, written by an acknowledged expert in the field. The range is impressive: from the traditional to the virtual, concerning subjects as diverse as emotion, sexuality, sport, embodiment, identity, self-narrative, fieldwork in organizations, science and technology.
Specifically intended for use in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in qualitative research design and methodology in sociology, anthropology, criminology, urban studies, social geography, public health and education, the handbook will also prove beneficial to academic researchers in these and other disciplines.
`While aimed at students and new researchers, even an experienced fieldworker can find inspiration in this volume.'
- The Journal of the Royal Anthropoogical Institute
'...Peter Manning's important contribution locates the transitions that have occurred in ethnography at the turn of the 21st century, juxtaposed against studies of organized crime. Nick Fox creatively situates postmodern fieldwork within the context of medical sociology.'
- Qualitative Research Journal
'The book will be particularly valuable for students or those approaching fieldwork for the first time. It provides a useful overview of current issues and debates for those familiar with fieldwork methods.'
- Field Methods Journal