This volume is a call to qualitative researchers to respond to the political and methodological conservativism of the new millennium. Based upon the plenary papers at the first International Congress on Qualitative Inquiry, 22 scholars from five countries and many academic disciplines address how qualitative inquiry can maintain its forward-looking agenda, its emphasis on ethical practice, and its stance in favor of social justice in a world where conservatives aggressively control the political system, the university, and grant agency purse strings. Contributions by such noted scholars as Patti Lather, Janice Morse, Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Ernest House, Yvonna Lincoln, and H.L. Goodall, Jr. make this an important benchmark work for all involved in qualitative inquiry.