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Critical ethnography and working-class stories: left behind or left out?

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Sociological theory revisited

As sociologists, we are still invited to favour either the structuralist approach to social theory, or its rival the interpretivist approach. But do we really need to take sides in this enduring debate?

The usual approach to sociological theory has been to offer a choice between two mutually exclusive approaches. One is macro, ‘scientific’ and structural; the other is micro, humanistic and interpretivist. The former approach has its roots in the emergence of sociology in the mid-nineteenth century.

Marxism, functionalism and to some extent feminism, all fall into this macro, structural camp. Forms of structural difference — such as those produced by markers of social class, ethnicity and gender — are all viewed as being very powerful in their capacity to define us and shape our behaviour and life chances.

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Critical ethnography and working-class stories: left behind or left out?

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Sampling

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