Street Corner Society - Analysis of Metodology and Ethics

This bachelor thesis deals with methodology and ethics of research supervised by W. F. Whyte which resulted in classical sociological masterpiece Street Corner Society. This subject is researched thru analyze of discussion and reactions in form of essays from Journal of Contemporary Ethnography which happened in 1992. Mentioned essays are processed by analysis of documents and arguments listed in them are considered and if possible they are contrasted with each other. All reactions can be separated in two areas by depending on approach of their writers. These two areas are positivism and postmodernism. In matter of positivism is possible to argument about the research in terms of comparing introduced materials whereas in matter of postmodernism we can accept all opinions and we deal with epistemology used in discussion. In the first case we discuss especially controversy between Boelen on one side and Whyte with Orlandella on another. Even from sights of Vidich and Richardson who don't comment conclusions in "positivistic" sense, Boelen's work was not properly conceived. There are almost all of her arguments of criticism refuted with exception of few providential arguments, yet hers main benefit is in space for discussion about epistemology she created and which is included in postmodernistic part..