This book demonstrates the relevance, rigor, and creativity of interpretive research methodologies for political science and its various sub-fields. Designed for use in a course on interpretive research methods, or as a second text in a course in which the instructor seeks a balance between positivist and interpretive approaches, the book situates methods questions within the context of broader methodological questions - specifically, the character of social realities and their "know-ability." Exceptionally clear and well-written chapters provide engaging discussions of the methods of accessing, generating, and analyzing social science data, using methods ranging from reflexive historical analysis to critical ethnography. Reflecting on their own research experiences, the expert contributors offer an inside, applied perspective on how topics, evidence, and methods intertwine to produce knowledge in the social sciences.

Organizational Ethnography brings contributions from leading scholars in organizational studies that help to develop an ethnographic perspective on organizations and organizational research. The authors explore the special problems faced by organizational ethnographers, from questions of gaining access to research sites to various styles of writing ethnography, the role of friendship relations in the field, ethical issues, and standards for evaluating ethnographic work.

This work explores the relationship among knowing, learning, and practice in the development of organizational knowledge. It explores the implications for intervention growing out of the notion that organizational knowledge cannot be conceived as a mental process residing in members' heads.

Product Description: What do we mean in the U.S. today when we use the terms "race" and "ethnicity"? What do we mean, and what do we understand, when we use the five standard race-ethnic categories: White, Black, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic? Most federal and state data collection agencies use these terms without explicit attention, and thereby create categories of American ethnicity for political purposes...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: In this new and timely book in the Qualitative Research Methods series, author Dvora Yanow outlines a more interpretive approach to policy analysis. She begins by describing what interpretive approaches are, and what they can mean to policy analysis...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: This book offers a new, interpretive way of understanding organizations and policy by analyzing how they convey meaning through symbolic language, objects, and act. Yanow argues that contested facts in policy often reflect different policy meanings, which are often known tacitly and communicated through the symbols used by an implementing organization...read more