Ethnographic fallacies: reflections on labour studies in the era of market fundamentalism

Abstract

Michael Burawoy reflects back on 40 years of industrial ethnography in Zambia, the USA, Hungary and Russia to discover the mistakes he made and, thus, to infer the fallacies to which ethnography is subject. He traces these fallacies not to any ‘theoretical imposition’ but to inadequate theoretical reflection. All methodologies are fallible and scholars should spend more time examining the limitations of their own methodologies and less time attacking the limitations of others.