Sensory Ethnography as a Methodological Resource for Qualitative Research

Abstract

The article poses the problem of the possibility of including sensory ethnography in the methodological arsenal of qualitative sociological research. In order to substantiate the possibility of this step in sociological methodology development the author presents the theoretical origins of the sensory turn that took place in social and humanitarian knowledge. After that, the author reconstructs the process of sensory turn reception in cultural anthropology and sociology. According to the author, the sensory ethnography approach formation may be considered as one of the methodological consequences of sensory turn as well as extension of research problem set opportunities. Shifting the research focus towards the sphere of sensory experience and, as a result, including the sensory aspect of everyday life in research designs, are considered as the incentives to development of new methodological approaches, such as sensory ethnography.

Keywords

• sensory turn
• anthropology of the senses
• sociology of the senses
• sensory ethnography
• qualitative methods