Crafting Ethnography: A Review

Authors

Kathleen M. Lind, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USAFollow

Abstract

This review explores Paul Atkinson's (2022) Crafting Ethnography, the fourth installment in his series on ethnographic research. The book presents a compelling case for Embodied Ethnography as Atkinson writes of his thick participation in various introductory crafting classes, including glassblowing, pottery, silversmithing, spoon-making, life drawing, digital photography, and perfume blending. By emphasizing sensory engagement and short-term, focused fieldwork, Atkinson challenges traditional notions of ethnographic immersion. I review and critique this text as a second-year doctoral student with the hopes of understanding more about qualitative research and design. Throughout this review, I examine the book as a supplemental tool that higher education professors and students could utilize to learn more about ethnography. What I appreciate most from this book is Atkinson's exploration of the idea of an aliquout of fieldwork, teaching his readers to transform participation into a deeper understanding of ethnographic practices. His reflections on the crafting classes offer a nuanced understanding of how esoteric knowledge and experiential learning shape cultural insight. While the book does not serve as a methodological guide, it provides valuable perspectives for novice researchers to deepen their observational skills within condensed academic timelines.

Keywords

immersion, physical learning, crafting, aliquot, ethnography, senses, introductory classes

Author Bio(s)

Kathleen Lind is a graduate student at the University of Central Florida, United States. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to kathleen.lind@ucf.edu.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Audra Skukauskaitė for her guidance in this review.

Publication Date

12-31-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8480

Recommended APA Citation

Lind, K. M. (2025). Crafting ethnography: A review. The Qualitative Report, 30(12), 4899-4904. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8480

ORCID ID

0009-0005-7125-1573