Embracing Ethnography

David Oswald is an Associate Professor in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University, Australia. He has undertaken award-winning ethnographic research in the fields of construction management and the built environment, including the ‘2020 Best Paper Award’ in a leading journal in the field, the Journal of Construction, Engineering and Management. Léon olde Scholtenhuis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Twente, Netherlands. Léon’s lab conducts practice-based research, focusing on the intricacies of planning and construction operations and how technological innovations enter this context. Léon publishes ethnographic action research work in technology and construction management outlets such as the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management and the ASCE Monograph Series.

Section I: Introducing the construction context and culture

Introduction
Dr. David Oswald & Dr. Léon olde Scholtenhuis

The culture of construction in Western society
Kevin Porter

The culture of construction in Eastern society
Dr. Sarah Swider

Negotiating gender in construction ethnography
Dr. Natalie Galea


Section II: Ethnographic research considerations for the construction context

Ethnographic methods in construction
Dr. David Oswald

Doing ethical research in an industry context
Prof. Jan Hayes & Prof. Sarah Maslen

Philosophical reflections on ethnography in construction research
Dr. Hans Voordijk

How ethnographic methodologies contribute to construction practice
Dr. David Oswald & Dist. Prof Helen Lingard

Ethnography for construction 5.0
Prof. Sarah Pink

Section III: Doing ethnography in the construction industry

Doing short-term ethnography
Richard Brett

Doing long-term ethnography
Dr. David Oswald, Dr. Simon Smith & Dr. Fred Sherratt

Doing multi-site ethnography
Dr. Andrea Yunyan Jia

Doing case based inter-organisational ethnography
Evelijn Martinius & Prof. Leentje Volker

Doing ethnographic-action research Dr. Léon olde Scholtenhuis

Doing ethnographic video interviewing
Joan Ongodia & Prof. Timo Hartmann

Doing online ethnography
Dr. Laura Osburn, Dr. Madison Snider, and Prof. Carrie Sturts Dossick

Doing auto-ethnography
Dr. Leon Crascall & Dr. Fred Sherratt

Section IV: Construction ethnography examples, outcomes and reflections

An ethnography of co-creating collaboration, innovation, and value
Dr. Ani Raiden & Dr. Emmanuel Manu

An ethnography exploring H&S communication in construction workgroups
Dr. David Oswald & Dist. Prof Helen Lingard

An ethnographic account of circular demolition practices: realising reuse potentials
Dr. Marc van den Berg

An autoethnography to reveal the bitter truth: I’m the problem
Dr. Henning Grosse

Conclusions
Dr. Léon olde Scholtenhuis & Dr. David Oswald