Covert Ethnography in Criminology: A Submerged yet Creative Tradition

Abstract

This paper argues that covert ethnographic research has a legitimate and innovative voice in criminology, despite the increasing regimentation of ethical governance in social research. It also stresses that covert research has had a somewhat submerged and maligned history due to its perceived ethical transgression and is in need of rediscovery. It is argued that covert research, on closer inspection, has both a vibrant and diverse corpus of studies beyond the limited number of exemplars popularly associated with covert research. This paper explores the wide range of covert ethnographies in the study of deviance, criminality and illicit subcultures. It takes a critical stance on the appropriateness of an overly strict adherence to informed consent, and suggests that ethical safeguards can stifle creative forms of criminological ethnography. The paper contends that, although covert ethnography clearly occupies a niche position in criminology, it is a necessary part of the criminological imagination.