Synopses & Reviews
Quick Ethnography takes traditional anthropological fieldwork techniques and applies them to contemporary applied research problems. For most applied projects, time is of the essence, and QE shows how ethnographic work can be successfully accomplished in a matter of weeks. Handwerker guides the reader through the use of research teams, highly focussed research problems, and a variety of structured techniques. This book will be a valuable reference for fieldworkers in anthropology and sociology, and other applied social science fields.
Synopsis
Quick Ethnography (QE) is an easy-to-read guide to the rapid collection of high quality ethnographic data for use in research, policy analysis, and decision-making. It addresses the needs of social scientists grappling with complex cultural social interactions and cultural change occurring in communities around the globe by offering a comprehensive, integrated multi-method approach that will increase research productivity. Handwerker provides step-by-step procedures for producing lots of data very quickly, outlining how ethnographers must control field preparation, data collection, and methods of data analysis. The rigorous QE approach allows greater precision and subtlety of ethnographic description and explanation that is not always possible in applied contract work (known as Rapid Assessment Procedures). The author, an anthropologist who has been teaching and consulting on fieldwork methods for over 25 years, includes extensive examples of research design and management that are valuable for the novice as well as for experienced researchers in all social science disciplines. Visit the author's web site.