Citation

Eckl J. Int. Polit. Sociol. 2008; 2(3): 185-203.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, International Studies Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1749-5687.2008.00044.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The article deals with the normative lessons that political scientists can learn from ethnology’s experiences with ethnography. Ethnographic methods like participant observation differ significantly from other methods since they explicitly blur the boundary between theory and practice; this blurring requires researchers to carefully evaluate their conflicting responsibilities to the people studied, to the scientific community, and to themselves. Many of the insights generated in ethnology are relevant for political scientists, too, especially for those political scientists who are prepared to “leave the veranda” and want to put ethnographic methods to use, but also for those who prefer to remain in the position of an “armchair” researcher.