Desmond, M. (2014). Relational ethnography. Theory and Society, 43(5), 547–579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-014-9232-5

Matthew Desmond's "Relational Ethnography" argues for a shift in ethnographic research from studying bounded groups and places to examining relationships and processes. The author posits that traditional approaches often reinforce static and isolated views of social reality. Desmond advocates for "relational ethnography," focusing on fields, boundaries, processes, and cultural conflicts rather than fixed entities. He suggests that by prioritizing connections and interactions, researchers can generate richer explanations of social phenomena. The article outlines three distinct approaches for carrying out relational ethnography and also acknowledges the challenges and tradeoffs inherent in this methodology, including gaining entrée, achieving depth, identifying boundaries, writing relationally, and ensuring generalizability. Desmond calls for a more collaborative approach to ethnography, with researchers building upon each other's work to analyze sprawling networks of relations. He concludes that a relational perspective can help ethnographers develop arguments that better reflect the complex, interconnected nature of the social world.

keepSave to notecopy_alldocsAdd noteaudio_magic_eraserAudio OverviewschoolBriefing doc