Ethnographic methods have an important role to
play in the development and confirmation of sociological theory, as
well as the discovery of anomalies and new domains of empirical
research. The Princeton Sociology department
includes a critical mass of prominent scholars engaged in this
approach, making it a leading center of sociological ethnography.
Princeton's ethnographers join with their compatriots in other universities in
Serving as ambassadors of sociology to the wider public through enduring books of
interest to students, laymen, and policy makers. Although many ethnographic
studies have focused on life in cities, ethnographers also
study rural villages, suburban communities, families, and business
firms and nonprofit organizations. The ethnography cluster offers a year-long training course composed of four mini-seminars: The Ethnographic Tradition; The Logic of Inquiry in Ethnographic Research; Fieldwork Methods; and Ethnographic Analysis and Writing.