'Race, Community and Conflict' as a methodological classic

Rex and Moore's Race, Community and Conflict: A Study of Sparkbrook has the status of a modern sociological classic. The argument presented here is that this can be attributed in part to its methodological underpinnings. The use of a combination of methods to collect material on the lives of Sparkbrook residents in the 1960s allowed a more rounded account to be developed than would have been possible had only the originally planned survey been undertaken. The resultant study is by no means perfect, but its underlying ambition and the determination with which the project was seen through have served to inspire subsequent generations of researchers.