Review: Julie Scott Jones on Constructing Theory in the Field

Antony J. Puddephatt, William Shaffir and Steven W. Kleinknecht, eds., Ethnographies Revisited: Constructing Theory in the Field. New York: Routledge, 2009, 276pp. $US 44.95 paper (978-0-415-45221-2), $US 140.00 hardcover (978-0-415-452220-5).

Ethnographies Revisited sets out to explore and demonstrate how ethnographers generate and apply theory within the process of conducting ethnographic field research. The editors argue that there are numerous books on the “doing” of ethnographic research, particularly those that focus on what we could term “reflexivity.” Indeed, post-Writing Culture, it is de rigeur for ethnographers to engage in discussions of ethical, political, personal and other reflexive and reflective concerns. Such reflexivity provides important insights for researchers, students, and other audiences. However, Ethnographies Revisited takes the view that in this focus on the reflexive, the theoretical has become even more hidden from view. The central aim of the book then is to explore how ethnographers generate their theoretical frameworks and develop theoretical concepts … Read more