Israeli Soldiers, Japanese Children: Fieldwork and the Dynamics of Participant-Observation and Reflection

Eyal Ben-Ari*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter illustrates the advantages of ethnographic research in the study of organized crime in general and the author’s own study of the Russian Mafia in particular. It suggests that other disciplines can benefit from the anthropological approach and research methods, and concludes by describing the emergence of cultural criminology. Anthropological fieldwork methods have seldom been used in criminology. Emanuel Marx’s contribution to criminological research is perhaps underestimated, both by himself and by his students. In this context, two studies should be mentioned: his analysis of the social context of violent behaviour in an immigrant community and his description of drug smuggling patterns among the Bedouin of South Sinai. In these studies, Marx demonstrates the advantages of ethnographic research in the study of crime, by showing that violence or drug smuggling are sometimes considered normal and acceptable behaviour in certain cultural environments, while decision-makers and law enforcement officials, disregarding the social-cultural context, perceive these activities as criminal or immoral.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSerendipity in Anthropological Research
Subtitle of host publicationThe Nomadic Turn
PublisherTaylor and Francis
Pages65-79
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9781317057079
ISBN (Print)9781409430582
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Haim Hazan and Esther Hertzog, and The Contributors 2012.

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