Ethnography
Step-by-Step
Applied Social Research Methods
David M. Fetterman captures the ethnographic imagination with the Fourth Edition of his popular text, Ethnography: Step-by-Step. He shares new case examples of his work to highlight the illuminating power of reflexivity and theory. The new edition expands the discussion of critical concepts such as culture, contextualization, emic and etic distinctions, and symbols. The book provides insights into the use of technology in ethnography from qualitative data analysis software to data visualization, and Questions for Reflection have been added to the end of each chapter. Fetterman is a seasoned educator, evidenced by both the clarity of his thinking and the simplicity of his writing.
This is an excellent resource to help students understand ethnography research. The author has painstakingly put together a body of work that is remarkable. It was definitely an enjoyable book for me to read, and I hope others feel the same.
Fetterman's text continues to be one of the most definitive guides to the ethnographic method. Comprehensive in scope and accessible in tone, it offers newcomers to this vivid approach an authoritative introduction, and to seasoned researchers a reminder of the wealth of possibilities ethnography can entail. Highly recommended.
Dr. Fetterman's Ethnography Step-by-Step, 4th edition is a valuable tool for not only the experienced ethnographer, but will be of tremendous help to a doctoral student doing an ethnographic study for their dissertation/thesis. The author does an excellent job of taking the reader through the entire ethnographic process, including the use of the latest technology tools used in research.
This book offers a great blend of the old and the new. The old is a lucid and engaging exploration of what ethnography offers those of us who revel in the fascinating journey with the nuances of life, while the new is the seemingly never-ending quest to discover how we can use technology to appreciate the journey even more.
Great overview. Very accessible for graduate students from professional schools (Law, Design, Nursing, Medicine)
I was looking for a credible, reliable and accessible text on ethnography and spent time to find an authoritative scholar on this research method. Very happy to now have David Fetterman's book in my research methods toolbox.
I will be using this text for the summer course I teach in qualitative methods. It is easy to follow; the graduate students really profit from studying it.
