Urban ethnography: Nothing about us without us is for us

Abstract

Gonzalez argues that the dynamics of urban life require a reconceptualization of the ‘the field’ as a knowledge-filled space, which now includes people’s knowledge about themselves. Spatial distribution and social interaction in urban areas are significant aspects of urban ethnography that account for social inequity among people at the margins. Gonzalez discusses current ethnographies that challenge dominant discursive formations of marginalized communities living in urban areas to challenge injustice and argue for advocacy. While anthropology remains embedded in participant observation and the study of the intersections of the political, social and cultural, she notes, it welcomes knowledge from the people in the communities under study through ethnographic accounts and participatory research, including ethnographic accounts written by scholars studying the urban settings where they come from.