Literary allusion in sociological analysis: Mass Observation mantelpiece reports as epic and drama

Hurdley, Rachel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8729-6726 2024. Literary allusion in sociological analysis: Mass Observation mantelpiece reports as epic and drama. Qualitative Research 24 (3) , pp. 712-730. 10.1177/14687941231176944

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Abstract

This paper experiments with the use of literary analysis for the interpretation of participants’ writing. The dataset comprises 56 ‘Reports’ in response to a 2019 Mass Observation Directive. Mass Observation is a British archive. Its aim is to record everyday life through correspondents’ responses to thrice-yearly Directives. The paper contributes to lyrical sociology with its development of ‘textural’ analysis. The 2019 Directive asked volunteers to submit reports on what was on their mantelpieces and also about their treasured objects. I found this writing highly allusive of two literary works: Tom Stoppard's play Arcadia, and the ‘Catalogue of Ships’ in Homer's ancient Greek epic poem, the Iliad. This led me not only to review the earlier reports but also to consider how literature can enrich the interpretation of participants’ writing. In conclusion, I argue that following up allusive ‘hunches’ can result in fruitful literary analysis, as a ‘textural’ approach to sociological method.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
ISSN:	1741-3109
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 January 2024
Date of Acceptance:	16 February 2023
Last Modified:	08 Jul 2024 11:33
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/165890

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