emerald PUBLISHING Urban Ethnography: Legacies and Challenges: 16 (Research in Urban Sociology, 16)

Urban ethnography has produced some of the most influential and memorable studies in sociology since the discipline's founding. Showcasing the ideas, analysis, and perspectives of experts in the method conducting research on a wide array of social phenomena in a variety of city contexts, this volume provides a look at the legacies of urban ethnography's methodological traditions and some of the challenges its practitioners face today. This volume considers the ongoing influence of esteemed scholars in the famed 'Chicago School' in teaching ethnography and mentoring young ethnographers. In doing this it addresses the numerous definitions of space and place that ethnographers grapple with, considers the social and spatial locations in which research is conducted, and examines the intertwined forms of social identity that shape the relationships that scholars form in the field, as well as the data they produce. In addition to these themes, the authors in this volume also consider the importance of taking a global perspective when conducting local fieldwork, and of taking an intersectional approach to reflexivity and analysis. Mixing self-reflection, practical guidance, theoretical engagement, empirical analysis, and even humor, the chapter authors offer a large slice of what ethnography has to offer for understanding the global urban world. Review This volume consists of 11 essays by sociologists from the US, Europe, and Japan, who describe aspects of urban ethnography, including experiences in the field, the method’s history, presentation of analysis, and practical guidance. They address the legacy of the Chicago School; how to train ethnographers; issues ethnographers face at field sites and during analysis, in relation to place, interaction order, and class; and the impacts of identity on urban ethnographers, particularly for African American ethnographers, in terms of social location, and for migrant ethnographers. -- Copyright 2019 ― Portland, OR About the Author Richard E. Ocejo is Associate Professor of Sociology at John Jay College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. His research and teaching interests include urban and cultural sociology, community studies, work and occupations, and research methods.