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Ethnography as Work: Some Rules of Engagement

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  • John Van Maanen

Abstract

Ethnography is both a methodological approach to and an analytic perspective on social research. It has a long history and pedigree in organization and management studies and well beyond. Perhaps the most distinctive features of ethnography are its pragmatic orientations and its written products. As a way of responding to Tony Watson's essay, I look at three constitutive (and overlapping) tasks – fieldwork, headwork, and textwork – as a way to sketch out a few craft-like rules for ‘how things work’ within ethnographic circles. This is an enlargement of Tony's argument rather than a challenge. I conclude however with remarks on two areas (i.e. the native's point of view and the peripheral position of ethnography) where Tony and I seem to differ.

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  • John Van Maanen, 2011. "Ethnography as Work: Some Rules of Engagement," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 218-234, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:48:y:2011:i:1:p:218-234
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00980.x
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