NEW ETHNOGRAPHIES
Abstract
NEW ETHNOGRAPHIES 479 maintains a careful equilibrium between "member" and researcher. She develops a close, yet honest relationship with her subjects that lends authenticity to the data. One of the greatest strengths of this book is the clarity with which the voices of Hopewell's Baptists is heard in Greenhouse's accounts. The credibility of the findings and interpretations in Praying for Justice is enhanced by the nature of Greenhouse's data collection. The prolonged engagement of the author with the community provided her with an understanding of the culture of Hopewell and the trust of her informants. Her time and involvement with the community allowed her to overcome the preconceptions that she brought to the setting and discover unexpected patterns of conflict management. Praying forJustice is concerned primarily with people's ideas about conflict and, much less, with conflicts themselves. Greenhouse at- tempts not to chronicle the conflict management behavior of the Baptists of Hopewell but to explicate a "cultural framework" within which they understand conflict management. That is, the book con- siders what people believe they should do when confronted with conflict rather than what they actually do. The framework provided by this book lays a foundation for further consideration