Experiencing Fieldwork

Robert A. Stebbins, FRSC, is Faculty Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Calgary. He received his Ph.D. in 1964 from the University of Minnesota. Author of 30 books and monographs as well as over 150 articles and chapters in several areas of social science, his most recent works include: New Directions in the Theory and Research of Serious Leisure (Edwin Mellen, 2001), Exploratory Research in the Social Sciences (Sage, 2001), and The Organizational Basis of Leisure Participation: A Motivational Exploration (Venture Publications, 2002). Between Work and Leisure (Transaction Publishers) appeared in 2004 and Challenging Mountain Nature (Detselig), a study of three mountain hobbyist sports, will be published in fall, 2005. He is presently writing for Indiana University Press (with David Horton Smith and Michael Dover) A Dictionary of Nonprofit Terms and Concepts. Stebbins was elected Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences in 1996 and, in 1999, elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Introduction PART ONE: GETTING IN Playing Back the Tape - John Van Maanen Early Days in the Field Sponsors, Gatekeepers, Members and Friends - Robert G Burgess Access in Educational Settings Female Researchers in Male-Dominated Settings - Joan Neff Gurney Implications for Short-Term Versus Long-Term Research Experiencing Research on New Religions and Cults - James T Richardson Practical and Ethical Considerations Managing a Convincing Self-Presentation - William Shaffir Some Personal Reflections on Entering the Field PART TWO: LEARNING THE ROPES A Walk Through the Wilderness - David M Fetterman Learning to Find Your Way Secrecy and Disclosure in Fieldwork - Richard G Mitchell Jr The Researcher Talks Back - Christine Griffin Dealing With Power Relations in Studies of Young People's Entry to the Job Market Encountering the Marketplace - Robert Prus Achieving Intimate Familiarity with Vendor Activity Recognizing and Analyzing Local Cultures - Jaber F Gubrium PART THREE: MAINTAINING RELATIONS Field Relations and the Discourse of the Other - Peter McLaren Collaboration in Our Own Ruin Maintaining Relationships in a School for the Deaf - A Donald Evans Stability and Flexibility - Patricia A Adler and Peter Adler Maintaining Relations Within Organized and Unorganized Groups Fieldworkers' Feelings - Sherryl Kleinman What We Feel, Who We Are, How We Analyze Fragile Ties - Ramona M Asher and Gary Alan Fine Shaping Research Relationships with Women Married to Alcoholics PART FOUR: LEAVING AND KEEPING IN TOUCH High Risk Methodology - Daniel Wolff Reflections on Leaving an Outlaw Society Leaving, Revisiting, and Staying in Touch - Charles P Gallmeier Neglected Issues in Field Research Gone Fishing, Be Back Later - Ilene M Kaplan Ending and Resuming Research Among Fishermen Leaving the Field - Steven J Taylor Research, Relationships, and Responsibilities Do We Ever Leave the Field? Notes on Secondary Fieldwork Involvements - Robert A Stebbins