RESONANT ETHNOGRAPHY
By Helle Bundgaard & Anne Line Dalsgård
This book explores what it means—and what it takes—to write ethnographic texts that resonate with both fieldwork and readers. It approaches writing as a form of embodied thinking and encourages conceptual openness and a willingness to experiment. Drawing on exemplary texts and the authors’ experiences as teachers and writers, it explores the importance of attentiveness, imagination, and ethical engagement. Grounded in anthropology and phenomenology, and inspired by literature, it weaves conceptual reflection with practical guidance and literary sensibility.
Available at:
This book explores what it means—and what it takes—to write ethnographic texts that resonate with both fieldwork and readers. It approaches writing as a form of embodied thinking and encourages conceptual openness and a willingness to experiment. Drawing on exemplary texts and the authors’ experiences as teachers and writers, it explores the importance of attentiveness, imagination, and ethical engagement. Grounded in anthropology and phenomenology, and inspired by literature, it weaves conceptual reflection with practical guidance and literary sensibility. Throughout the book, the authors show how ambiguity, affect, and imagination can foster understanding. Each chapter focuses on a key aspect of the writing process, exploring fundamentals such as time, voice, argument, and composition. More than just a guide to writing, Resonant Ethnography is an invitation to think, feel, and imagine through writing, and to appreciate what ethnography can be in the world today.
BLURBS
Resonant Ethnography makes an eloquent case for verisimilitude in ethnographic writing. Not only do Bundgaard and Dalsgård argue that the cultivation of literary and observational skills can enable us to capture the bodily, emotional, and evanescent aspects of social existence; they adduce a wealth of perspicacious examples that vividly show the innovative and vital character of contemporary anthropological writing.
Resonant Anthropology is a great boon to anyone interested in the craft of ethnographic writing. Rich with keen insights, and a joy to read, this innovative book leads the reader into a wealth of observations, advice, and wise reflections on the `hows’ and `whys’ of ethnographic prose for the contemporary moment. Helle Bundgaard and Anne Line Dalsgård, anthropologists known internationally for their innovative approaches to ethnography, have given us something truly instructive and thought-provoking.
Resonant Ethnography is an inspiring resource for anyone keen to harness the power of ethnographic writing. Both a guide to attentive reading and a prompt to imaginative writing, it offers a welcome invitation to ethnographers to reach beyond the comfort zone of academic writing and have the courage to experiment with literary form and technique. I highly recommend this book as a companion to all aspiring ethnographic writers, whether experienced or new to the craft.