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Ethnography 1900

Learning from the Field Research of an Old Century

Northwestern University

GARY ALAN FINE

Northwestern University

Ethnographic research has changed dramatically over the past century, as a review of research published in the American Journal of Sociology from 1895 to 1910 attests. After describing the characteristics of that research and the scholars who published it, the authors analyze what has changed. This examination of ethnographic research suggests that despite methodological and theoretical advances over the past century, some traits of those earlier studies have been lost in contemporary field research. Specifically, the authors point to the loss of clarity, authority, and confidence in much current research. Ethnographers of a century ago believed that they were able to picture social scenes, deal with public problems, and provide ameliorative solutions. Moreover, they spoke with confidence and authority, an authority that is now downplayed in ethnographic research.

Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Vol. 29, No. 5, 593-617 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/089124100129024016


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