How to Conduct Ethnographies of Institutions for People with Cognitive Difficulties

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the methodological, theoretical, and meta-theoretical considerations and guidelines involved in undertaking institutional ethnographic work involving people with cognitive and communicative disabilities. It presents a coherent platform for integrating theory and method built on classical and recent anthropological and sociological theory as well as classic and recent methodological considerations within the ethnographic tradition. Furthermore, it introduces readers to the challenging work of understanding the lifeworld of people who cannot express themselves in ordinary ways or who are deeply stigmatised and oppressed by dominating discourses telling them how to understand and define their role in society. It will be of interest to all scholars, students and researchers of disability studies, particularly those who undertake ethnographic research or want to understand the challenges involved in doing so.

Kjeld Høgsbro (PhD in cultural sociology) is Professor of Social Work at Aalborg University. He has published books on disabilities, mental illness, social work and community development in Denmark. His research comprises ethnographic studies of national programmes for people with mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness, brain injury, dementia and autism spectrum disorders.

Preface; Chapter 1. Introduction; Chapter 2. Epistemological considerations and challenges; Chapter 3. Metatheoretical questions; Chapter 4. Theoretical considerations; Chapter 5. Cultural studies in practice; Chapter 6. Ethnography in practice; Chapter 7. Investigating discourses, documents and professional intervention; Chapter 8. Validation; Chapter 9. Disability, politics and rehabilitation; Chapter 10. Disabilities which involves the brain; Chapter 11. Investigating services for people with mental illnesses; Chapter 12. A national survey of day care offered to pre-school children with autism; Chapter 13. Investigating national services for people with ADHD; Chapter 14. Investigating two residential homes for elder people with dementia and challenging behaviour; Chapter 15. Conducting master thesis; Index