At the intersection of risk: when literary journalism and sociology study urban problems by means of akin methodologies

Authors

  • Isabel Soares Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Universidade de Lisboa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7458/SPP2017843466

Keywords:

Literary Journalism, Sociology, Urban Problems, London

Abstract

Literary journalism, or long form reporting, intersects sociological research at the methodological level when analysing urban problems. To establish the connection between literary journalism and sociology, we focus on the influence early literary journalists had on the sociological/imagological and narrative construction of social problems and how literary journalism continues to be a tool in the unveiling of risk-related issues such as the exploitation of cheap labour and the degradation of urban environments. We examine a corpus of literary journalism texts through qualitative methods, namely content and discourse analysis, to conclude that literary journalism and sociology resort to the same data gathering methodologies, interviews, surveys and statistics, while narratively exposing life at the socioeconomic peripheries.

Author Biography

Isabel Soares, Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Universidade de Lisboa

Assistant Professor at Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Universidade de Lisboa

Vice-President at International Association for Literary Journalism Studies (IALJS)

Director at ISCSP-Language School

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Published

2017-03-31

Issue

Section

Artigos