Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-308) and index.
Contents:
1. Introduction: the emergent nature of the research process -- 2. Before you begin: dreaming and thinking -- 3. Preparing: the early steps in a study -- 4. Learning to interview: what to do before and after the interview -- 5. How to conduct a good interview: dig deep -- 6. Learning to do participant observation: a practical guide -- 7. Writing high-quality field notes: details matter -- 8. Data analysis: thinking as you go -- 9. Writing: becoming clearer about your contribution -- 10. Conclusion: why interviews and participant observation research are valuable -- Final words.
Summary:
"Sociologist of education Annette Lareau is renowned in her field for her compassionate ethnographic work and the insightful ideas she's able to draw from it. With Listening to People, she has given us an extremely practical guide to doing the kind of work she has been celebrated for. Lareau covers just about everything a social scientist needs to know--formulating a topic and honing it down to a good research question, obtaining IRB approval, finding a site and making introductions, conducting high-quality interviews and participant--observation, taking good notes and writing them up later, analyzing the data, and best of all, making clear how much the data analysis and the writing are part of the same process. Her tone throughout is about as straightforward as it gets, and she very generously shares stories of her own mistakes, missteps, and anxieties. Written for for students and scholars in sociology, education, communications, social work, and possibly political science, anthropology, and related fields, the book will be an indispensable guide for graduate students and faculty in the social sciences (broadly conceived), and is even suitable for undergraduates"-- Provided by publisher.
Series:
Chicago guides to writing, editing, and publishing
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.