Sovonne UkamConcordia University

 Qualitative Research Methods EDDC 611

Teresa Dillard, PhDOctober 31, 2015

Tally’s Corner by Elliott Liebow Classic Book Journal

I chose as my book choice Tally’s Corner, by qualitative writer,

anthropologist and professor Elliott Liebow. It is a thick description of his

observational study on a group of Negro males, who spent the greater part of their

days meeting and talking on a street corner in Washington, D.C. The study came

about in the early 1960’s as part of his doctoral dissertation in anthropology at the

Catholic University of America (Liebow, 2003). As now; poverty was an intense

subject of debate, and Liebow sought the opportunity to garner a clear

understanding of poverty, its affects, and foundation. Therefore, Liebow spent

countless hours observing a certain group of Negro males in order to gain an

understanding of their struggles, relationships, and experiences, in a life of

poverty in America.

Tally’s Corner

The study provided an intimate account of America’s underclass, and is

deemed as a poignant classic. Many research studies and books pertaining

to poverty have risen from Liebow’s work, in addition, significant

qualitative terms such as, thick description have been illustrated citing

Tally. Take for example this article, Brief Note on the Origins, Evolution,

and Meaning of the Qualitative Research Concept “Thick Description,”

by Joseph G. Ponterotto, and how it reflects Tally’s impact on qualitative

studies. Ponterotto (2006) notes, “a central component of “thick

description” is the interpretation of what is being observed or witnessed”.

Tally’s Corner is the perfect example to demonstrate relational and descriptive-interpretive types of

thick description. In the article, Misogyny in Rap Music a Content Analysis of Prevalence and

Meanings, written by Ronald Weitzer and Charis E. Kubrin, the study assesses the portrayal of

women in a sample of 403 rap songs (Weitzer & Kubrin, 2009). Again, Liebow’s study is used to

validate Weitzer and Kubrin (2009), - “…four decades ago, an ethnographic study of a low-income,

Black neighborhood described how important it was for men to be seen as ‘‘exploiters of women,’’

even if they did not always treat women in this way”.

These articles barley tip the scale regarding the use of Tally to support

works by other researchers of poverty and the culture of poverty. It provides

researchers access into lives that they may never have the personal opportunity

to visit. However, for me as an African American woman growing up poor in

the south, access was not impossible, therefore, I am a little remiss in some of

the observations made by Liebow, of which I will gladly share weekly in my

journal.

References

 Liebow, E. (2003). Tally’s corner: A study of Negro streetcorner men. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Ponterotto, J. G. (2006). Brief note on the origins, evolution, and meaning of the qualitative

research concept “thick description”. The Qualitative Report, 11(3), 538-549. Retrieved

October 30, 2015, from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR11-3/ ponterotto.pdf

Weitzer, R., & Kubrin, C. (2009). Misogyny in rap music: A content analysis of prevalence and

meanings. Men and Masculinities, 12(1).