'Bursting the Brussels Bubble' What Can Ethnography Tell Us About Politics at the European Parliament?
Amy Busby, University of Sussex
This paper firstly identifies a gap in the European Parliament literature and then discusses what the research method ethnography offers to help fill this and enhance our understanding of the internal political life of this transnational institution. It draws together findings and experiences gained during 7-months worth of participant observation and elite interviews at the EP. The paper discusses what this method offers this field of research and also problems and issues raised and encountered. It looks at political and organisational processes occurring inside the institution which are essential to its daily functioning as well as exploring the context in which it is situated and discusses how these findings affect MEP behaviour and decision-making.