Extended Reading

The following list of journal articles and books provide extended reading on topics covered in chapter 9 in the second edition. Please note that journal articles are free to access, whereas book extracts (denoted by methods.sagepub.com URLs) require your university to have a subscription to SAGE Research Methods.

Athens, L. (2010). Naturalistic inquiry in theory and practice. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 39(1), 87-125.
This article aims to build on the work of Herbert Blumer and explore the practical application of naturalistic research theory.

Koen, J., & Durrheim, K. (2010). A naturalistic observational study of informal segregation: Seating patterns in lectures. Environment and Behavior, 42(4), 418-468.
Observational studies demonstrate that informal (non-legislated) segregation persisted in South African classrooms even after the end of the apartheid system. Koen and Durrheim analyze these studies and conclude that interracial contact does not lead to the formation of cross-racial friendships. This article demonstrates how the methodology of naturalistic observational research can yield important information about social policy and social change.