Norman K. Denzin

Being a critical analysis of alcoholism in American movies, with particular emphasis on the immediate post-WWII period and the 1980's. This is not a particularly interesting book. It largely eschews jargon and is very well organized, but this organization necessitates the inclusion of a plot synopsis and a digest of reviews for each film; all these impedimentia plus the author's eccentric syntax and punctuation, and his integration of bibliographic references into the flow of the text add up show more to a cumbersome read. This would be a good source for researchers, but it's difficult to recommend for recreational reading. show less

The thinking, attitudes and methods discussed here are drastically changed from the first edition of this impressively comprehensive effort to cover all aspects of its subject. Postmodernism has created a significant shift in the field.

In Performance Ethnography, one of the world’s most distinguished authorities on qualitative research establishes the connection of performance narratives with performance ethnography and autoethnography, the linkage of these formations to critical pedagogy and critical race theory, and the histories of these formations. He then shows how they may be connected.
Performance Ethnography is divided into three parts. Part I covers pedagogy, ethnography, performance, and theory as the foundation show more for a performative social science. Part II addresses the worlds of family, nature, praxis, and action, employing a structure that is equal parts memoir, essay, short story, and literary autoethnography. Part III examines the ethics and practical politics of performance autoethnography, anchored in the post-9/11 discourse in the United States. The amalgam serves as an invitation for social scientists and ethnographers to confront the politics of cultural studies and explore the multiple ways in which performance and ethnography can be both better understood and used as mechanisms for social change and economic justice. show less

For anyone doing field work or interested in Social Science the Handbooks are essential resources. The huge shift in thinking, methods, and approach to the field's history and philosophy make comparing each of the three editions especially illuminating.