PROMISES

Using a research practice that comhines critical social theory with a method-ological orientation influenced hy anthropology and sociology (I,eCompte & Preissle. 1(93). critical ethnographers aim to explore the experiences of the oppressed and expose the underlying social practices that contrihute to their oppression. One intended result is that researchers may learn ahout the everyday cultural experience of the oppressed and hring their lives to the attention of the general puhlic--or at least to those who would read the written version of criti-cal ethnographers ' research. Furthermore. through their analysis or actions in the field. critical ethnographers hope to free the oppressed or at least to con-tribute in some way to their emancipation. In this chapter. I define ('1,;t;('ol ethnography as entailing four promis