Yellowstone. Sacagawea. Lewis & Clark. Transcontinental railroad. Indians as college mascots. All are iconic figures, symbols of the West in the Anglo-American imagination. Well-known cultural critic Norman Denzin interrogates each of these icons for their cultural meaning in this finely woven work. Part autoethnography, part historical narrative, part art criticism, part cultural theory, Denzin creates a postmodern bricolage of images, staged dramas, quotations, reminiscences and stories that strike to the essence of the American dream and the shattered dreams of the peoples it subjugated.

Yellowstone. Sacagawea. Lewis & Clark. Transcontinental railroad. Indians as college mascots. All are iconic figures, symbols of the West in the Anglo-American imagination. Well-known cultural critic Norman Denzin interrogates each of these icons for their cultural meaning in this finely woven work. Part autoethnography, part historical narrative, part art criticism, part cultural theory, Denzin creates a postmodern bricolage of images, staged dramas, quotations, reminiscences and stories that strike to the essence of the American dream and the shattered dreams of the peoples it subjugated.

What is evidence in qualitative inquiry and how is it evaluated? What is true or false in research is strongly influenced by socially defined criteria and by the politics of academia. In providing an alternative to conservative science, qualitative researchers are often victimized by these politics. The use of qualitative evidence within the policy arena is also subject to social and political factors. Within qualitative inquiry itself, evidence is defined differently in different discourses--law, medicine, history, cultural, or performance studies. The interdisciplinary, international group...

What is evidence in qualitative inquiry and how is it evaluated? What is true or false in research is strongly influenced by socially defined criteria and by the politics of academia. In providing an alternative to conservative science, qualitative researchers are often victimized by these politics. The use of qualitative evidence within the policy arena is also subject to social and political factors. Within qualitative inquiry itself, evidence is defined differently in different discourses--law, medicine, history, cultural, or performance studies. The interdisciplinary, international group...

Discusses a variety of topics in the field of symbolic interaction.

Features articles from the 2008 International Congress on Qualitative Inquiry. This book demonstrates the potential of the research tradition to make contributions to the betterment of humankind. It highlights the importance of advocating for social justice.

In increasing numbers, qualitative researchers are leaving their ivory tower perches and entering the fray, focusing their research and actions on the promotion of social justice. In this tightly edited volume of original articles stemming from the 2008 International Congress on Qualitative Inquiry, leading figures in qualitative research demonstrate the potential for the research tradition to make contributions to the betterment of humankind.

This collection of recent works by Norman K. Denzin provides a history of the field of qualitative inquiry over the past two decades. As perhaps the leading proponent of this style of research, Denzin has led the way toward more performative writing, toward conceptualizing research in terms of social justice, toward inclusion of indigenous voices, and toward new models of interpretation and representation. In these 13 essays--which originally appeared in a wide variety of sources and are edited and updated here--the author traces how these changes have transformed qualitative practice in...

This collection of recent works by Norman K. Denzin provides a history of the field of qualitative inquiry over the past two decades. As perhaps the leading proponent of this style of research, Denzin has led the way toward more performative writing, toward conceptualizing research in terms of social justice, toward inclusion of indigenous voices, and toward new models of interpretation and representation. In these 13 essays--which originally appeared in a wide variety of sources and are edited and updated here--the author traces how these changes have transformed qualitative practice in...