Conclusion: A Comparative Analysis of Comparative Ethnographies

This volume is guided by the goal of productive pluralism—the simple notion that even though ethnographic approaches may be partially incompatible with one another, the field as a whole benefits from diverse contributions to understanding social life. Beyond a mutual tolerance that leaves ethnographers in their silos, such a pluralism supports sustained scholarly dialog to clarify points of disagreement as well as illuminate opportunities for collaborative problem-solving. To this end, this volume has included works from prominent scholars representing various traditions to articulate what, why, and how they engage in ethnographic comparison. This concluding chapter contextualizes the contributions of the authors, pointing to both divergences and (perhaps) surprising synergies in the ways they approach ethnography. The chapter begins by considering the basic questions of how and why the contributors perform comparison. Having summarized the approaches, the authors discuss specific comparisons of research processes, research products, and the criteria used for evaluating both. The chapter concludes by suggesting how these synergies open the possibility for a chance to address further concerns in comparative methodology.