“Trailer Trash” Stigma and Belonging in Florida Mobile Home Parks

In the United States, residents of mobile homes and mobile home communities are faced with cultural stigmatization regarding their places of living. While common, the “trailer trash” stigma, an example of both housing and neighborhood/territorial stigma, has been understudied in contemporary research. Through a range of discursive strategies, many subgroups within this larger population manage to successfully distance themselves from the stigma and thereby render it inconsequential (Kusenbach, 2009). But what about those residents—typically white, poor, and occasionally lacking in stability—who do not have the necessary resources to accomplish this? This article examines three typical responses by low-income mobile home residents—here called resisting, downplaying, and perpetuating—leading to different outcomes regarding residents’ sense of community belonging. The article is based on the analysis of over 150 qualitative interviews with mobile home park residents conducted in West Central Florida between 2005 and 2010

New Research on Housing and Territorial Stigma: Introduction to the Thematic Issue

This introduction to the thematic issue on housing and territorial stigma provides concise overviews of the concepts of stigma, housing stigma, and territorial (or neighborhood) stigma, while tracing back current research on these topics to the pioneering work of Erving Goffman and Loic Wacquant. In doing this, we place particular attention on social responses to, and coping strategies with, stigma, especially various forms of stigma resistance. Finally, in brief summaries of all articles in the thematic issue, we emphasize their shared themes and concerns

Al otro lado del Atlántico: Debates y temas actuales en la etnografía en USA

Dieser Überblick über einige Aspekte der nordamerikanischen Ethnographie konzentriert sich auf die letzten fünf bis zehn Jahre. Der Aufsatz ist in drei Themenbereiche gegliedert. Im ersten Teil werden vier institutionelle Kontexte der nordamerikanischen Ethnographie näher beschrieben: professionelle Organisationen und Konferenzen, Veröffentlichungen, Forschungsförderung, akademische Karrieren und Zentren. Im zweiten Teil fasse ich neuere Debatten über die Rolle von Politik und Theorie in der nordamerikanischen ethnographischen Forschung zusammen. Der dritte Schwerpunkt gilt methodologischen Aspekten, darunter die wachsende Vielfalt ethnographischer Methoden und Forschungsprojekte, sowie neue Regulationen des Forschungsprozesses, die von Ethik-Kommissionen an allen amerikanischen Universitäten überwacht werden. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0503470This overview of selected issues in US ethnography covers the last five to ten years. The paper is divided into three major sections. The first one describes the institutional standing of ethno­graphy in four separate contexts: organizations and conferences, publications, research funding, and careers and centers. Second, the paper re­views recent debates regarding the roles of politics and theory in US ethnographic research. A third focus is placed on methodological issues, such as the increasing diversity of ethnographic research methods and designs, as well as a new set of research requirements administered by ethical review boards at all US universities. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0503470Esta panorámica de temas selectos en la etnografía norteamericana abarca los últimos diez años. El artículo se divide en tres secciones: la primera describe la posición institucional de la etnografía en cuatro contextos diferentes, tales como, organizaciones y conferencias, publicaciones, financiamiento a la investigación, y carreras y centros. En segundo lugar, se revisan los debates recientes en torno al lugar de la política y la teoría en la investigación etnográfica norteamericana. Un tercer foco de interés es puesto sobre los temas metodológicos, tales como la diversidad creciente de diseños y métodos de investigación etnográfica y el nuevo tipo de requerimientos de investigación administrados por los comités de revisión ética en todas las universidades de USA. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs050347

Across the Atlantic: Current Issues and Debates in US Ethnography

Dieser Überblick über einige Aspekte der nordamerikanischen Ethnographie konzentriert sich auf die letzten fünf bis zehn Jahre. Der Aufsatz ist in drei Themenbereiche gegliedert. Im ersten Teil werden vier institutionelle Kontexte der nordamerikanischen Ethnographie näher beschrieben: professionelle Organisationen und Konferenzen, Veröffentlichungen, Forschungsförderung, akademische Karrieren und Zentren. Im zweiten Teil fasse ich neuere Debatten über die Rolle von Politik und Theorie in der nordamerikanischen ethnographischen Forschung zusammen. Der dritte Schwerpunkt gilt methodologischen Aspekten, darunter die wachsende Vielfalt ethnographischer Methoden und Forschungsprojekte, sowie neue Regulationen des Forschungsprozesses, die von Ethik-Kommissionen an allen amerikanischen Universitäten überwacht werden.This overview of selected issues in US ethnography covers the last five to ten years. The paper is divided into three major sections. The first one describes the institutional standing of ethno­graphy in four separate contexts: organizations and conferences, publications, research funding, and careers and centers. Second, the paper re­views recent debates regarding the roles of politics and theory in US ethnographic research. A third focus is placed on methodological issues, such as the increasing diversity of ethnographic research methods and designs, as well as a new set of research requirements administered by ethical review boards at all US universities.Esta panorámica de temas selectos en la etnografía norteamericana abarca los últimos diez años. El artículo se divide en tres secciones: la primera describe la posición institucional de la etnografía en cuatro contextos diferentes, tales como, organizaciones y conferencias, publicaciones, financiamiento a la investigación, y carreras y centros. En segundo lugar, se revisan los debates recientes en torno al lugar de la política y la teoría en la investigación etnográfica norteamericana. Un tercer foco de interés es puesto sobre los temas metodológicos, tales como la diversidad creciente de diseños y métodos de investigación etnográfica y el nuevo tipo de requerimientos de investigación administrados por los comités de revisión ética en todas las universidades de USA

Across the Atlantic: Current Issues and Debates in US Ethnography

This overview of selected issues in US ethnography covers the last five to ten years. The paper is divided into three major sections. The first one describes the institutional standing of ethno­graphy in four separate contexts: organizations and conferences, publications, research funding, and careers and centers. Second, the paper re­views recent debates regarding the roles of politics and theory in US ethnographic research. A third focus is placed on methodological issues, such as the increasing diversity of ethnographic research methods and designs, as well as a new set of research requirements administered by ethical review boards at all US universities. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs050347

Equally Unprepared: Assessing the Hurricane Vulnerability of Undergraduate Students

Students have been described as being both particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and highly resilient in recovery. In addition, they often have been treated as a distinct, homogeneous group sharing similar characteristics. This research tests these ideas through an examination of hurricane-related perceptions and preparations of students in a hurricane-prone area. A survey of over 500 undergraduate students (15% on-campus residents, 85% off campus) was conducted at the University of South Florida, a large, metropolitan-based university located in Tampa Bay, Florida, near the Gulf Coast. Following Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests, results showed that students were ill prepared for hurricanes and lacked specific knowledge of the risk. There were small but statistically significant differences in mean responses with respect to gender, age, and ethnicity on specific questions, while ethnicity most strongly warrants future research. Whether the magnitude of statistical differences results in behavioral differences is unclear. Using discriminant function analysis, attempts to identify heterogeneous subgroups based on gender, ethnicity, and age likewise found weak to moderate significant differences, supporting the contention that students are largely homogeneous with regard to certain aspects of hurricane perceptions and preparedness, though again ethnicity demands closer attention in subsequent studies