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Ethnography, Culture and Interpretive Analysis

This research group provides a hub for staff and graduate students of the School whose research interests - empirical, methodological and theoretical - are correspondent with ethnographic and/or qualitative methods, and interpretive analysis. 

This research group provides a hub for staff and graduate students of the School whose research interests - empirical, methodological and theoretical - are correspondent with ethnographic and/or qualitative methods, and interpretive analysis.

The activities of the group focus on issues around ethnography — as practice and product — and cultural analysis concerned with the interpretive understanding of meaning, symbols and language.

The research group members come from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds including sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, social work, social policy and cultural studies.

There is a strong tradition of ethnographic and interpretive work within the School of Social Sciences, and this group provides a forum for sustaining and developing this work.

Aims

The main aims of the Ethnography, Culture and Interpretive Analysis research group are:

  • to sustain and develop high quality ethnographic, qualitative and interpretive research, writing and other scholarly activity at Cardiff ;
  • to foster the intellectual interests of research group members, and provide support for research and scholarly activity in ethnographic, cultural and interpretive fields;
  • to engage collectively and collaboratively with ongoing and critical debates within ethnographic, cultural and interpretive research;
  • to build on existing national and international research links and collaborations within ethnographic, cultural and interpretive research

Research

Doctoral research fields and areas of supervision Include

  • Laboratory Ethnography
  • Gender and Identity
  • Subcultures and Deviance
  • Art and Culture
  • Contemporary Wales and Political Ethnography
  • Spaces, Places and Material Culture
  • Medical Work
  • Educational Ethnography

Methods and innovation:

  • Mobile Methods
  • Hypermedia
  • Participatory Methods
  • Urban Ethnography
  • Narrative and Discourse
  • Visual Methods
  • Ethnography of Embodiment

The group engages in a range of activities. These include:

  • Data sharing and analysis workshops
  • Occasional guest speakers (often in collaboration with other research groups)
  • Half-day workshops/seminars on key debates, topics and issues
  • Research presentations and development of proposals, via round table meetings and discussion groups
  • The international peer reviewed journal Qualitative Research is edited by senior members of the group
  • Members of the group are also connected with the Knowing Localities in Context projects based inWISERD

Meet the team

Academic staff

Next steps