Interpretive ethnography: Ethnographic practices for the 21st century

Interpretive ethnography: Ethnographic practices for the 21 st century

Denzin, N.K. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications,1997 ISBN 0-8039-7299-7 $22.95 paperback 325pp.

Using global cultural changes of the late 20th century as a backdrop, Norman Denzin challenges interpretive researchers to develop more sophisticated strategies and writing styles that will ultimately transform qualitative research from interpretive reporting to stimulus for action. Denzin, one of the leading ethnographers of present day, traces qualitative research's past as foundation for where it must develop in order to continue to contribute to inquiry. Though numerous contemporary qualitative researchers see the primary value of their efforts in explanations of observable actions in the real world, the author adroitly unmasks the myopia of this perspective. He convincingly argues that interpretations of human activities...