What is an autoethnography? An ethnography is a portrait (graph) of a group of people (ethnos). It's
Question:
What is an autoethnography?
An ethnography is a portrait (graph) of a group of people (ethnos). It's a common genre in the fields of anthropology and sociology, since it's a genre that studies human cultures.
To write an autoethnography is to study a culture of which you are a member.
- Auto = self
- ethno =culture
- graphy = study of
I.e., the act of writing about oneself in order to explore and understand a particular community, culture or subculture.
Sarah Wall in "An Autoethnography on Learning about Autoethnography" explains the genre as "highly personalized accounts that draw upon the experience of the author/researcher for the purposes of extending social understanding."
Autoethnographies draw from a kind of research called "primary research"in which you gather the information and evidence yourself, for example, through interviews, personal reflections, and your own observations. They usually alsodraw from "secondary research"texts, studies, descriptions, and/or analyses by other peoplein order to present a complex portrait of the culture.
What does "culture" mean in this context?
We are each members of multiple cultures and sub-cultures. Culture here does not have to mean ethnicity or socio-economic status (although it could). It could also reflect how you spend your time, what you value, or things you have, for example:
- things you have (e.g., I am a parent, I am a dog-owner, I am a sneakerhead)
- things you do (e.g., I am an athlete, librarian, gamer, gig worker, environmental activist)
- things you believe (e.g., Jewish, libertarian, socialist, vegan)
- things you love (e.g., a punk, a cinephile, a Star Wars fan)
- things you support (e.g., a BLM supporter)
- places you're from/geographic identity (e.g., a New Yorker, a PNW'er, a Hong Kong resident, a refugee)
- heritage/ethnic identity (e.g. I am Chinese-American, Black American, an Indonesian immigrant)
- physical construct (e.g., I am tall, I have ADD, I am Gen Z, I am hearing-impaired)
- social, gender and/or sexual identity (e.g., I am a cis-woman, I am trans, I am bi)
- educational (I am a teacher, I am a first-generation college student, I am a Business major)
...to name just a few categories!
Why write an autoethnography?
As an insider to your culture, you can help outsiders understand what it's like to be "x" --a first generation college student or a female softball player or an aspiring jazz musician or a survivor of a terrible car accident or a world of warcraft player...etc.
The target audience for autoethnographies is outsiders to your culture who may or may not have a complex or accurate understanding of the culture. In other words, autoethnographies "speak back" to outsiders who have misunderstood or misrepresented your culture, through both personal and textual research.
Autoethnography genre conventions
Remember, these are conventions (common features)- not rules. A piece of writing can be an autoethnography and not include every single one of these conventions. But this may be a useful list to consider as you work familiarize yourself with the genre, and work toward your own autoethnography.
- First-person point of view; establishes author's own connection to culture
- Uses a variety of sources, includingprimary sources (interviews and/or personal observations)
- Provides context to understand aspecific culture/community
- Establishes a specific issue with stakes relevant to the culture/community, and develops a central claim about the issue
- Illuminates nuance and complexity about the subject- perspectives not always seen or represented
- Includes detailed description and/or analysis
1. What do you see as Anzalda's purpose for writing this auto-ethnography? What do you think she most wants to communicate about this culture/community? Be as specific as possible. [at least 75 words.]
2. Choose any quote- 1-2 sentences- within the text that you found impactful, interesting, or otherwise important. Write out the quote, and describe your response. Feel free to connect to your own experiences. [at least 100 words including the quote.]
3.This text is doing a type of auto-ethnography: theauthor is examining a particular community to which she belongs. "Hutong Karma," while a very different text, is also anauto-ethnography. Taken together, what do youlearn or notice about the genre? What seems common or typical to the genre? [at least 75 words.]
Format: At least 250 words total
Research Methods For Business Students
ISBN: 9781292016627
7th Edition
Authors: Mark N.K. Saunders, Philip Lewis, Adrian Thornhill