Return to Winston Parva: Starting to Reconstruct The Established and the Outsiders 'From the Margins'

Abstract

In this paper, we reflect on our experiences of trying to undertake a restudy of The Established and The Outsiders - Return to Winston Parva. We consider the methodological challenges that such a 'return' has raised for us (and potential research funders). These include i) the circumstances surrounding the genesis of the published version of The Established and the Outsiders; ii) the lack of specific methodological details and research design relating to the original study; and iii) the less than clear exposition of three neighbourhood zones known as 'Winston Parva'. The discussion then outlines how a fortuitous contact from John Scotson’s estate led to a 'bundle of papers' the retrieval of and which now represent a complete archive of materials relating to the original study on which The Established and The Outsiders. For the first time, we outline the scope and extent of these archive materials, the paradata and marginalia, as well as considering Scotson's hand drawn map which demarcates 'Winston Parva' precisely from its surrounding environs.