Mapping Social Relations : A Primer in Doing Institutional Ethnography

Campbell, Marie; Gregor, Frances

ISBN 10: 1442601191 / ISBN 13: 9781442601192

Published by University of Toronto Press, 2002

Seller Inventory # 10561580-n

Synopsis:

This is a book about a distinctive methodological approach inspired by one of Canada's most respected scholars, Dorothy Smith. Institutional ethnography aims to answer questions about how everyday life is organized. What is conventionally understood as "the relationship of micro to macro processes" is, in institutional ethnography, conceptualized and explored in terms of ruling relations. The authors suggest that institutional ethnographers must adopt a particular research stance, one that recognizes that people's own knolwedge and ways of knowing are crucial elements of social action and thus of social analysis. Specific attention to text analysis is integral to the approach. Institutional ethnography is remarkably well-suited to the human service curriculum and the training of professionals and activists. Its strategy for learning how to understand problems existing in everyday life appeals to many researchers who are looking for guidance on how to take practical action. At the same time, the highly elaborated theoretical foundation of institutional ethnography is difficult to deal with in the brief time most students are in the classroom. The authors successfully tackle the issue of teaching and applying institutional ethnography. Campbell and Gregor have been testing out instructional methods and materials for many years. Mapping Social Relations is the product of that effort.

About the Authors:

Marie Campbell is a professor in the faculty of Human and Social Development at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.

Frances Gregor is an associate professor in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Mapping Social Relations : A Primer in Doing...
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Publication Date: 2002
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: New
Edition: 2nd Edition