Ethnography

Abstract

This chapter discusses ethnography as an important method to gain new insight into the understudied richness of labour law. The chapter begins by introducing ethnography as a method traditionally used in other disciplines to investigate the world of work. Following this, the chapter defines ethnography as the approach of entering a field to gain first-hand experience from within. It describes the typical methods by which data is collected and discusses how ethnography offers a unique opportunity to reflect on positionality and value systems, as well as generating views with interpretive power. It then discusses that ethnography contributes to labour law scholarship by helping us to comprehend the complexity of law and legal processes, exploring social interactions between people and the law, and examining workers' identities, autonomy, and preferences. Lastly, the chapter illustrates the application of ethnography through four examples, each addressing a particular issue within the discipline of labour law. Show more