Abstract The introduction argues that while the legitimacy of bureaucracy as an object of inquiry is well established, little is generally said on the methodologies mobilized by ethnographers to study the bureaucratic field. The special issue is a contribution to fill this gap. The authors characterize bureaucracy as a mode of control by way of four dimensions—service, rule, violence, and secrecy—and propose three methodological pathways through which ethnographers may immerse in the bureaucratic field. The first pathway, “stages,” is concerned with the methodological reflections on accessing the bureaucratic stage and of being led in by bureaucrats as they perform their stage work. The second focuses on “techniques” and considers the implications of immersing oneself in a distinct technical landscape. The third pathway concerns the ethnographer’s positionality, drawing attention to the deep reflexivity and unstable ethics of bureaucracy ethnography. The authors invite bureaucracy ethnographers to pursue these pathways and to engage in a critical reflection on their fieldwork practices.

中文翻译：

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沉浸在官僚领域：方法论途径

摘要 引言认为，虽然作为研究对象的官僚主义的合法性已经确立，但人们对民族志学者动员起来研究官僚主义领域的方法论却鲜有提及。特刊是填补这一空白的贡献。作者通过四个维度——服务、规则、暴力和保密——将官僚主义描述为一种控制模式，并提出了三种方法论途径，通过这些途径，民族志学家可以沉浸在官僚主义领域。第一个途径，“阶段”，涉及进入官​​僚阶段和在官僚执行阶段工作时被引导的方法论反思。第二个侧重于“技术”，并考虑将自己沉浸在独特的技术环境中的含义。第三条路径涉及民族志学者的定位，引起人们对官僚民族志的深刻反思和不稳定伦理的关注。作者邀请官僚民族志学者追求这些途径，并对他们的田野工作实践进行批判性反思。