Writing Ethnography

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Between 2009 and 2013, I conducted a multi-sited ethnography based in England with three fire and rescue organizations and one independent fire service training organization. The aim of my study was to explore how organizational cultural norms impacted how organizational members conceptualized and coped with workplace stressors. Over the period of the study, I spent time each week with the organizations involved, and I employed a range of research methods. These included semi-structured one-to-one interviews with managers, semi-structured focus group interviews with firefighters, document and artefact analysis, informal and naturally occurring conversations with staff, and participant observation activities (including participating in incident training and simulations, and community safety and engagement events). My research concluded that the dominant firefighter culture impacted how stress was perceived in these institutions. Within this culture, stress was conceptualized as a weakness and this perception ultimately led to organizational members being reluctant to talk about stress or engage with stress management interventions. Furthermore, my research coincided with a period of tense industrial relations due to a series of government reforms and spending cuts which the firefighters deemed to undervalue their role in society. As my fieldwork progressed, I realized that there was a cultural sensitivity to both my research topic (stress) and the timing of my research (a period of uncertainty and tense industrial relations). Indeed, throughout my study, I often reflected on the ethical challenges associated with writing up my dynamic, colourful and multifaceted exchanges with my research participants whilst at the same time, maintaining participant and organizational anonymity. As I moved onto the formal ‘writing up’ stage of my research, this challenge became more acute as I had to decide what detail should be published. In this case study, I explore these ethical challenges and put forward some suggestions based on my own research experiences to enable the research to maintain a balance between doing no harm and writing an insightful ethnography.

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