What happens when ethnographers go public via books, opinion papers, media interviews, court testimonies, policy recommendations, or advocacy activities? Calling for a consideration of this public moment as part and parcel of the research process, the contributors to If Truth Be Told explore the challenges, difficulties, and stakes of having ethnographic research encounter various publics, ranging from journalists, legal experts, and policymakers to activist groups, local populations, and other scholars. The experiences they analyze include Didier Fassin's interventions on police and prison, Gabriella Coleman's multiple roles as intermediary between hackers and journalists, Kelly Gillespie's and Jonathan Benthall's experiences serving as expert witnesses, the impact of Manuela Ivone Cunha's and Vincent Dubois's work on public policies, and the vociferous attacks on the work of Unni Wikan and Nadia Abu El-Haj. With case studies from five continents, this collection signals the global impact of the questions that the publicization of ethnography raises about the public sphere, the role of the academy, and the responsibilities of social scientists.

Contributors. Jonathan Benthall, Lucas Bessire, Joao Biehl, Gabriella Coleman, Manuela Ivone Cunha, Vincent Dubois, Nadia Abu El-Haj, Didier Fassin, Kelly Gillespie, Ghassan Hage, Sherine Hamdy, Federico Neiburg, Unni Wikan

About the Author
Didier Fassin is James Wolfensohn Professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study, a Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, and the author and editor of many books, most recently, Prison Worlds: An Ethnography of the Carceral Condition.

Reviews
"[A] must-read for every student of anthropology, policy maker and administrator trying to understand the complexities of the social world we inhabit." -- Sarbani Sharma * Anthropology Book Forum *
"A stimulating collection of articles that illustrates, examines, and generates important questions about the project of public ethnography, and about public social science more generally. It deserves to be widely read." -- Martyn Hammersley * Canadian Journal of Sociology *
"If Truth Be Told offers thoughtful, reflexive accounts of the public afterlife of ethnography that will surely spark a range of productive exchanges among scholars invested in the public reach of social science research." -- Colin Hastings, Leigha Comer, & Eric Mykhalovskiy * Forum: Qualitative Social Research *
"In presenting some of the possibilities and challenges that 'going public' entails, this volume is essential reading for researchers embarking on public ethnography, and for departments and funders who encourage engagement beyond academia. If Truth Be Told is equally important for those who do not see their work as being particularly public-facing; any published work can take on a public afterlife beyond the author's intentions." -- Laura Haapio-Kirk * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *
"In this important new collection,Didier Fassin and his colleagues stake a powerful and innovative claim on the diverse landscape of anthropology's history of public engagement." -- Alyshia Galvez * American Ethnologist *
"[This] book is a wonderful contribution that further helps to reflect upon the role of ethnography, and the constant challenges it must face when trying to go beyond academia and engage with wider audiences." -- Sebastian Rojas Navarro * Sociological Research Online *



Book Information
ISBN 9780822369776
Author Didier Fassin
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Duke University Press
Publisher Duke University Press
Weight(grams) 499g