This book argues for an approach to linguistic ethnography which departs from the singular gaze of the academic researcher, to amplify instead the voices of participants, researchers and collaborators. The authors offer an account of writing ethnography polyphonically, incorporating the complexity of individual voices. In doing so they challenge the imperative to make meaning from, and explain the culture of, 'the other'. Together, the essays open up the emic perspective by considering the experiential, aesthetic, emotional, moral and ethical value people bring to encounters with others. The book is an essential addition to research methods courses in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, and an invaluable contribution to knowledge about research-based drama, theatre and creative practice.

Adrian Blackledge is Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Stirling, UK. He has published widely on both multilingualism and sociolinguistics. He was Birmingham Poet Laureate from 2014-2016.

Acknowledgements

Part 1: Encounters in Linguistic Ethnography

Essay 1. Linguistic Ethnography

Essay 2. Developing an Ethical-Aesthetic Perspective in Linguistic Ethnography

Part 2: Enacting Linguistic Ethnography

Essay 3. Polyphony

Essay 4. Poetry

Essay 5. Ethnographic Drama

Essay 6. Performance

Essay 7. Politics

Part 3: Relations in Linguistic Ethnography

Essay 8. Relational Ethics

Essay 9. Responsibility and Trust

Essay 10. Strangeness and Proximity

Essay 11. Difference

Essay 12. Movement and Affect

Coda

References

Index