Citation

Atkinson P. Twenty-First Century Society 2009; 4(1): 17-30.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17450140802648439

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The discussion continues from a paper by Robert Dingwall in this journal on the ethical regulation of social research. This paper focuses exclusively on the conduct of ethnographic research. Here it is argued that current practice of ethical review is itself sociologically and anthropologically impoverished. Ethnographic field research does not merely pose practical problems in relation to anticipatory regulation, but also exposes the inadequate understanding of social life embedded in the assumptions of contemporary regulatory regimes.