Mapping Social Relations: A Primer in Doing Institutional Ethnography

You don't even have to be interested in IE specifically to find this an engrossing and useful read. Any fan of Foucault would enjoy this. In fact, I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in how systems shape us or in institutional culture. Any working person would find this illuminates ways our own organizations shape our work, priorities, actions, etc., usually without our noticing it. You have to see it to be able to change it, and this book will radically enhance your vision, and likely explain some of the consistent frustrations you feel at work.

This is, to date, the best introductory text on IE that I have seen. The authors provide a wonderful overview of IE and guide the reader through the research process. In addition, they refer to several different exemplars of institutional ethnography - mostly by former students of Dorothy Smith - giving the reader a sense of the range of applications of this methodology. Accessible, comprehensive and encouraging in its tone, this text is a wise purchase for anyone interested in exploring IE.