The Lost Ethnographies

The Lost Ethnographies, a collection of ethnographic projects that were for some reason not completed or never saw the light of day, was published by Emerald this month.

The collection, edited by Dr Robin Smith and Dr Sara Delamont, is intended to provide methodological insights from research that, viewed superficially, ‘failed’.

Experienced researchers write about projects they planned, and were excited about, which then never began, had to be abandoned, or took such unexpected directions that it became a different piece of work altogether. Some were simply never written up.

In recovering these lost projects - that vary from a study of how opera can be used to frame European cities as distinctive cultural destinations to the habits of ‘Bigfooters’ – the book is intended to offer hope, encouragement, and something of a guide for those who are currently lost in, or at risk of losing, their own projects.

The Lost Ethnographies will be discussed by contributors Dr Robin Smith, Dr Dawn Mannay, Dr Jamie Lewis and Professor Paul Atkinson at a School Seminar session on Thursday 21 February.