I thought this article was interesting to read after the Hammersley article and several of the other articles that focused on ethnographic histories. This article really demonstrates some of the important issues for researchers to consider as they do ethnographers and try to describe "culture"
Question: "If understandings of culture are varied or changing and ethnography is the methodology for studying culture, why hadn't there been more discussion of corresponding variations or changes in method?
Muddles:
1. meaning of "culture"
"If postmodernism has taught anthropologists anything definitive, it is that we can no longer conceive of social groups of people with a culture that is clearly bounded and determined, internally coherent, and uniformly meaningful" (p. 17)
2. enthusiasm for ethnography
3. researcher's responsibility to those he/she writers about and hopes to help
"The tension between protecting those studied and reporting details in ways that compel deeper understanding has been a persistent one. The tension is exacerbated when multiple and diverse perspetives (or "voices") must be represented" (p.19).
I think the most compleling part of this article is the researchers assertation that "I have a responsibility as an anthropologist, a teacher, and a person to speak, and act sometimes, in the moment, on behalf of the girls who are participating in my research" (p. 20). Researcher further notes when "lives of young people seem to be at stake". While I definitely agree that there are sometimes clear ideals that we would like to follow, I particularly wonder about this assertion when ethnographers are working in cultures that are much different than their own. For instance, if the researcher is visiting a very paternalistic culture wehre the education of girls is not valued, then they would very likely not feel that what they see is ok. However, if they know that this is the case, then maybe they should have went into the field as an activist, or a teacher, rather than as a researcher. I don't doubt that there are times when researchers should intercede, I just think this researcher needed to be a bit more specific about what types of cases warrant this.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Ethnography: Problems and Prospects
I thought this was a helpful article regarding some of hte current problems iwth ethnography. One section that I had hoped would be more further developed was virtual ethnography, although I suppose that is the topic of an entire book, not just one section of an article. I thought the initial discussion of some of the changes in ethngraphic work since its start in anthropology are especially important to consider in education. All methods develop over time, as we have discussed in relation to other works this semester. I think it is important and necessary for education (and composition) to considser what methods are most effective for ethnography in the classroom and in the study of writing.
One important issue is the sense of time. "some ethnographers tend to treat what they observe in the situations they study as if this can be assumed to be typical of waht always happens there" (p.5). When doing any sort of research, I think it is important to realize that this is just one point in time. Also, the researcher certainlly may influence the way things happen. In a classroom, this may be due to a change in preparation or class planning by the teacher when they know they are going to be observed, or a change in actions by the participants. I think with ethnography it is important that there is at least multiple times that are witnessed, and that participants can become accoustomed to being observed so they will act more naturally than over a very short period. For instance, I know that my students are very aware when I am being observed. While they don't change drastically, their behavior is slightly different and they always comment on "that guy" at the back of the room following the observation, even though I tell them about it in advance.
"the essence of ethnography is the tension between trying to understand people's perspectives from the inside while also viewing them and their behavior more distantly, in ways that may be alien (and perhaps even objectionable) to them." (p.11). I think this quote is very important to the idea of ethnography, and I need to consider it further in relation to critical ethnography. If, as another author stated, there are times an ethnographer must intercede and provide their professional experience and understanding when there are injustices, how is that accepting of "alien" behavior? Does this change the ethnographer, and does this assume the ethnographer is the expert that others should follow? When entering another society, does an ethnographer really have the right to judge and insert their own opinions? I can't imagine not interceding if I saw an injustice, but it is difficult to understand when to allow things to run there course, and when it is necessary to do otherwise. Ethical issues are complex and dynamic, and must be dealt with while in the field.
One important issue is the sense of time. "some ethnographers tend to treat what they observe in the situations they study as if this can be assumed to be typical of waht always happens there" (p.5). When doing any sort of research, I think it is important to realize that this is just one point in time. Also, the researcher certainlly may influence the way things happen. In a classroom, this may be due to a change in preparation or class planning by the teacher when they know they are going to be observed, or a change in actions by the participants. I think with ethnography it is important that there is at least multiple times that are witnessed, and that participants can become accoustomed to being observed so they will act more naturally than over a very short period. For instance, I know that my students are very aware when I am being observed. While they don't change drastically, their behavior is slightly different and they always comment on "that guy" at the back of the room following the observation, even though I tell them about it in advance.
"the essence of ethnography is the tension between trying to understand people's perspectives from the inside while also viewing them and their behavior more distantly, in ways that may be alien (and perhaps even objectionable) to them." (p.11). I think this quote is very important to the idea of ethnography, and I need to consider it further in relation to critical ethnography. If, as another author stated, there are times an ethnographer must intercede and provide their professional experience and understanding when there are injustices, how is that accepting of "alien" behavior? Does this change the ethnographer, and does this assume the ethnographer is the expert that others should follow? When entering another society, does an ethnographer really have the right to judge and insert their own opinions? I can't imagine not interceding if I saw an injustice, but it is difficult to understand when to allow things to run there course, and when it is necessary to do otherwise. Ethical issues are complex and dynamic, and must be dealt with while in the field.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Access to multiliteracies
I found this article especially interesting, particularly because it relates well to my final project in the class. I would have liked to read more studies focused within the college-level classroom, but this study was a good fit too.
The part of this article that I specifically appreciated was the five stages of research design that the author outlined very clearly. I think it is helpful when researchers are so specific, because it allows novice ethnographers to understand what the researcher did to create a "successful" ethnography. The five stages of this critical ethnography were:
1. 18 days of observational data over 10 weeks in the classroom.
2. analysis of classroom data, including verbatim transcribing of lessons, and low and high inference coding
3. triangulating data collection and analysis to strenghten the validity
4. the structuration theory of systems analysis was applied to the data
5. interpretation and explanation of results in light of a macro-sociological theory.
I thought another important aspect of this study was the application of critical pedagogy within the results. She thoroughly discusses how some of the boys were denied access to the multiliteracies curriculum. She is clearly discussing what she thinks is an injustice, which can lead to questions about her separation from the data. However, I think because of the framework she has created for the study, she is well within her realm to make the statements that she does, without it being overly judgemental. This could be a fine line, though!
The part of this article that I specifically appreciated was the five stages of research design that the author outlined very clearly. I think it is helpful when researchers are so specific, because it allows novice ethnographers to understand what the researcher did to create a "successful" ethnography. The five stages of this critical ethnography were:
1. 18 days of observational data over 10 weeks in the classroom.
2. analysis of classroom data, including verbatim transcribing of lessons, and low and high inference coding
3. triangulating data collection and analysis to strenghten the validity
4. the structuration theory of systems analysis was applied to the data
5. interpretation and explanation of results in light of a macro-sociological theory.
I thought another important aspect of this study was the application of critical pedagogy within the results. She thoroughly discusses how some of the boys were denied access to the multiliteracies curriculum. She is clearly discussing what she thinks is an injustice, which can lead to questions about her separation from the data. However, I think because of the framework she has created for the study, she is well within her realm to make the statements that she does, without it being overly judgemental. This could be a fine line, though!
Intertextuality - Seloni
I liked seeing this article because it provided a clear picture for me of how dissertation work based on ethnography can be broken down into a shorter article. I think it is important to understand how to get some "mileage" out of the research that we do, particularly due to the lengthy nature of ethnography.
In addition, I found this study interesting because it pulled out one specific finding of this dissertation, which was the intertextual connections the grad students had made.
A meaningful quote:
"In conclusion, the academic culture of collaboration (or intercultural academic collaboration) described through this analysis of intertextuality is comprised of a set of literacy practices in which students are not only swapping stories, but also engaging in a cross-cultrual (or intercultural) meaning making aactivity. By building an academic culture of collaboration in their own informal communities of practice, they are talking about the writing games they are involved in. That is, they are acting in the doctoral world with the words they are constructing collaboratively. This collection construction of meaning meaking and resistance to authority wihtin the academic culture of collaboration is an important step toward empoewring multilingual students to appropriate literacy practices" (81-82)
Overall, I think this study demonstrates how important it is to look into an area of the field that needs elaboration.
In addition, I found this study interesting because it pulled out one specific finding of this dissertation, which was the intertextual connections the grad students had made.
A meaningful quote:
"In conclusion, the academic culture of collaboration (or intercultural academic collaboration) described through this analysis of intertextuality is comprised of a set of literacy practices in which students are not only swapping stories, but also engaging in a cross-cultrual (or intercultural) meaning making aactivity. By building an academic culture of collaboration in their own informal communities of practice, they are talking about the writing games they are involved in. That is, they are acting in the doctoral world with the words they are constructing collaboratively. This collection construction of meaning meaking and resistance to authority wihtin the academic culture of collaboration is an important step toward empoewring multilingual students to appropriate literacy practices" (81-82)
Overall, I think this study demonstrates how important it is to look into an area of the field that needs elaboration.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Reason for Comparison in Ethnography
"Although difficult to provie, it seems likely that whenever ethnographic description focuses on some aspect of behavior that has been little studied, as weas the case here with the focus on language use, it is apt to deal primarily with how the people in question differ from ourselves." (17).
I found this statement quite provocative, and have found myself thinking about it frequently. I agree that when we meet others or study others, we often want to make comparisons; however, I was surprised that she only focused on the differences. I find that we often focus on both the similarities and differences, which is how we find common ground. I'm curious as to how others, particularly ethnographers, would respond to her statemetn.
I found this statement quite provocative, and have found myself thinking about it frequently. I agree that when we meet others or study others, we often want to make comparisons; however, I was surprised that she only focused on the differences. I find that we often focus on both the similarities and differences, which is how we find common ground. I'm curious as to how others, particularly ethnographers, would respond to her statemetn.
Invisible Culture
"Thus in regard to both the structuring of attention and the allocation of turns at talk, Warm Springs Indiana children learn culturally distinctive systems for socially appropriate communication" (126)
As teachers it is very important that we understand our students and what they consider appropriate communication. It is very easy for miscommunications to happen, but the more we educate ourselves and creat open dialogue with our students, the better we will be at this.
Some of the issues include discourse, regulatiosn of talk, dialet differents, rules for discourse, and differences in cultural knowledge. In my own teaching, I have tried to learn more about the cultural backgrounds of my students so I can better understand their perspectives and incorporate those things into the class. This understanding of cultural knowledge has helped me appreciate their backgrounds more.
"even where teachers are well intentioned, the results are similar, because the minority students' efforts to communicate are often incomprehensible to the teacher and cannot be assimilated into the framework within which teh teacher operates. The teacher, then, must be seen as uncomprehending, just as the students are. And it is primarily by virtue of the teacher's position and authority that the students and not the teacher come to b defined as the \ones who do not understand" (129). I found this statement to be quite profound. So often in discussions, the conversation goes to what students need to do, when really we need to focus more broadly on how all parties can come together to communicate well. When we place a focused effort on understanding each other, then we will have better classrooms.
The one section I would have liked to see more fully developed was Agent of Change. I think she could have discussed more what she thought this information means in the grander scope of things, and how she sees each of these people - including administration and government.
As teachers it is very important that we understand our students and what they consider appropriate communication. It is very easy for miscommunications to happen, but the more we educate ourselves and creat open dialogue with our students, the better we will be at this.
Some of the issues include discourse, regulatiosn of talk, dialet differents, rules for discourse, and differences in cultural knowledge. In my own teaching, I have tried to learn more about the cultural backgrounds of my students so I can better understand their perspectives and incorporate those things into the class. This understanding of cultural knowledge has helped me appreciate their backgrounds more.
"even where teachers are well intentioned, the results are similar, because the minority students' efforts to communicate are often incomprehensible to the teacher and cannot be assimilated into the framework within which teh teacher operates. The teacher, then, must be seen as uncomprehending, just as the students are. And it is primarily by virtue of the teacher's position and authority that the students and not the teacher come to b defined as the \ones who do not understand" (129). I found this statement to be quite profound. So often in discussions, the conversation goes to what students need to do, when really we need to focus more broadly on how all parties can come together to communicate well. When we place a focused effort on understanding each other, then we will have better classrooms.
The one section I would have liked to see more fully developed was Agent of Change. I think she could have discussed more what she thought this information means in the grander scope of things, and how she sees each of these people - including administration and government.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Ways with words - final thoughts
I really enjoyed this book, and find myself thinking back on it as I complete my final paper. I think she took an interesting approach and provides a good analysis of two areas that are very different, but also similar. I was especially interested in her follow up article and was surprised by some of her thoughts. Upon reflection, I think having two separate books may be the best option. For instance, in the first book she could discuss the language socialization that she witnessed, while in the second book she could focus on the educational needs of diverse students. Overall, I think that Ways with words provides a great introduction to ethnography, and I hope Heath someday puts out her data in its original form.
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