The discourse analysis typical of language-oriented ethnographic research is distinct form the that which is more linguistically driven. From a linguistic perspective, ethnographic data may seem impressionistic, and the units of analysis (e.g., clarification, shaming, or visiting ritual) too ill-defined for rigorous or detailed investigation. The perspective taken in this review, however, is that ethnographic research has greatly expanded understanding of what can consitute both valid data and appropriate analytical units. Through focus on categories such as speech event or genre, a large number of previously unexamined discourse phenomena have emerged as appropriate and significant domains of inquiry.
