Essays in Linguistic Ethnography

Provides an overview of the state of the art in writing linguistic ethnography 

This book argues for an approach to linguistic ethnography which departs from the perspective of the academic researcher, to amplify instead the voices of participants, researchers and collaborators. It reflects on ways of reporting research which add multiple perspectives and represent ambiguity more meaningfully than traditional academic prose.

This book argues for an approach to linguistic ethnography which departs from the singular gaze of the academic researcher, to amplify instead the voices of participants, researchers and collaborators. The authors offer an account of writing ethnography polyphonically, incorporating the complexity of individual voices. In doing so they challenge the imperative to make meaning from, and explain the culture of, ‘the other’. Together, the essays open up the emic perspective by considering the experiential, aesthetic, emotional, moral and ethical value people bring to encounters with others. The book is an essential addition to research methods courses in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, and an invaluable contribution to knowledge about research-based drama, theatre and creative practice.