Statz & Garriott: Studying Rural Criminal Justice Through Ethnography
In Ethnographic Research: Immersing Oneself in the Rural Environment, Michele Statz (Minnesota Medical School/Law) and William Garriott (Law, Politics, and Society, Drake University) present ethnography as an effective method for the study of rural criminal justice. In this chapter of Research Methods for Rural Criminologists, the authors argue that through extended engagement in everyday life among a population, ethnography offers a means of assessing the thick social ties and thin institutional infrastructures that define the criminal justice system in rural communities. By exploring relationships, ethnographical studies contextualize structural and cultural conditions and reveal unique insights about life and crime in rural spaces.
Each author’s contribution to the chapter stems from research previously conducted in different rural communities. Statz has focused her work in “the Northland,” the region that spans northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. By interviewing a district court judge sitting in a rural county of the Northland, Statz gained insight into the multitude of issues that confront rural justice systems. She also notes that ethnography enabled her to capture the multidimensional, deeply felt vulnerabilities of rural justice systems and their political and socioeconomic contexts. Even more importantly, it demanded a sense of accountability that arises when “being there” with the people and places studied.
Garriott’s contributions came from 12 months of ethnographic research in Baker County, West Virginia, with a specific focus on methamphetamine in the rural US. Garriott’s work involved immersing himself in the community and building relationships with locals. He notes that ethnography’s requirement of participation in everyday life yielded surprising and unique insights—such as discovering a “Meth Watch” sticker on a storefront and learning how the cashiers identify potential meth manufacturers. Garriott was able to create a holistic picture of meth’s impact through an ethnographic framework that brought together the various techniques of his research and revealed a complete, nuanced portrait.
This article shows the power of ethnographic research and its relationship-forward approach, which allows for a better understanding of “what’s at stake” for people in rural communities. Statz and Garriott argue that ethnography has the unique ability to bring attention to otherwise invisible patterns underpinning rural criminal justice systems.
For more work by Michele Statz on these and related themes, please see previous pieces here and here, in addition to this reflection from a rural judge featured in Statz’s research.
