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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Journal | Volume | Article

145189

The ethnomethods of ethnography

a trans-situational approach to the epistemology of qualitative research

Larissa Schindler

pp. 103-120

Abstract

The article is concerned with the everyday activities of sociology, focusing on ethnography. It argues that empirical study of the ethnomethods of ethnography allows for a deeper insight into the dynamics and procedures of this research practice. Based on empirical data from two ethnographic studies (in a martial arts club and in a flamenco class), I suggest to observe how such an investigation is conducted in various situations: in the field, on the ethnographer's desk, in data sessions, in conferences and in written papers. This serves to gather and produce empirical traces from the field. These are de- and re-contextualized while they are taken into the sociological field(s). This process can be analyzed drawing on Goffman's notion of Frame Analysis, particularly drawing on his notion of keyings. Ethnography can thus be described as a trans-situational practice that systematically couples situations and communications in order to understand and reconstruct other social practices for sociological reasons.

Publication details

Published in:

(2018) Human Studies 41 (1).

Pages: 103-120

DOI: 10.1007/s10746-017-9449-1

Full citation:

Schindler Larissa (2018) „The ethnomethods of ethnography: a trans-situational approach to the epistemology of qualitative research“. Human Studies 41 (1), 103–120.