ABSTRACT
The data to be discussed principally concerns institutionalized pilferage as this was observed in a hotel – one of a number of industrial situations in which I have collected material as a participant observer and one of several where pilferage was widespread. * The intention was not, however, specifically to examine pilferage. Observation of and participation in pilferage were by-products of an anthropologist's modified field approach or through working in a number of jobs before receiving formal anthropological training – what can be termed ‘retrospective participant observation’. † Material on the hotel was in part obtained as a worker and suffers, of course, from the dangers of possible selective recall. As is usual in participant observation, there are dangers too in generalizing from a single case. Inquiry would suggest, however, that the techniques of pilferage found in the hotel have a considerably wider application.
