Ebook: Writing the world of policing: the difference ethnography makes

Although the abundant scientific literature in criminology, sociology, political science, and legal studies on urban policing relies in part on participant observation, ethnography rarely appears as such, except occasionally in the form of short vignettes, and the specific contribution of this method is generally not discussed. Moreover, until recently, anthropologists themselves seem to have been little interested in policing practices. Yet, during the past decade, this situation has begun to change. A renewed interest in fieldwork research has emerged, criminologists have acknowledged the need for qualitative in-depth work, and anthropologists have conducted studies of law enforcement in various parts of the world. The present volume addresses the ethnography of policing from a dual perspective.