Anthropological Practice

Judith Okely (MA, D.Phil Oxford) is Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology, Hull University and Honorary Research Associate, School of Anthropology, Oxford University. Her books include The Traveller Gypsies, Simone de Beauvoir: a Re-Reading, Own or Other Culture, co-edited volumes and many articles. She has done fieldwork in Western Ireland, England and France (Ethnos 2001). In 2011 she was awarded the seal of Pilsen City, and an honorary medal of West Bohemia University, Czech Republic. She was selected as a Pioneer of Qualitative Social Research, ESDA UK.

"What makes this work distinctive from other publications about ethnographic methods is that the author provides detailed accounts from interviews she conducted with anthropologists whom she asked to reflect on their fieldwork experiences … Those with fieldwork experience including graduate students, newly graduated Ph.Ds., and seasoned anthropologists will enjoy Judith Okely’s and her colleagues’ perspectives about fieldwork. For those who want to reflect on ethnographic methods and its purposes, I highly recommend it. - American Ethnologist - Judith SingletonThe author has done admirable research on anthropological fieldwork methods and the contribution of different scholars . . . The book is a rich anthropological work and it is worth praising for citing so many anthropological works with such an immense exposure to the great many scholars of anthropology . . . For someone aware of the richness and beauty of anthropology and looking for critiques to the works of anthropology, this is the right book. - Anthropological Notebooks - Rimai Joy, Amity University, India[Anthropological Practice] is certainly a successful and rewarding tour. Okely writes with passion, humour and clarity ... [She] rigorously and consistently demonstrates her arguments and insights throughout. - Qualitative ResearchUnique in its scope, Okely's text offers a rich breadth of experience and a very nuanced understanding of what actually occurs in practice. Students and even seasoned researchers will gain a much needed glimpse into the realities faced by fieldworkers. - Susan E. Frohlick, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Manitoba[Anthropological Practice] thoroughly elaborates on conceptual categories and commonly accepted assumptions regarding this subject. It is an extremely useful resource for anthropologists, students, professional social researchers and research trainees … this book is an indispensable tool that should be included in every list of suggested readings on anthropology and ethnography. - Social Anthropology"

• PrefaceChapter 1: Theoretical and Historical OverviewChapter 2: Unit, Region and LocalityChapter 3: Choice or Change of TopicChapter 4: Participant Observation: Theoretical OverviewChapter 5: Participant Observation ExamplesChapter 6: Fieldwork EmbodiedChapter 7: Specificities and ReciprocityNotes on Anthropologists and IntervieweesNotesReferences