Autoethnography
In those wobbly moments related to my identity, doctorate and blog I have wondered why I wasn't keeping a "proper" PhD blog to talk about concepts and conferences related to international or intercultural communication.
Now, as I read an excellent book I find the words for what I'm doing. It's "autoethnography". As I prepare my doctorate about people from Portugal communicating and learning and in international online communities in English I am also telling the story of my own learning communication and learning in communities in a second language.
So, when in qualitative and ethnographic research, the discourse is about being attuned to the relationship between researcher and researched and in being highly sensitized to the "politics of representation" I feel like I'm walking the talk in a bigger way than merely having a "protocol" or a document that will pass an ethics committee.
In this book I'm reading (reference at the end) they go a step further by analysing "the relational domain ... between rhetor and reader, researcher and audience." (I had to look up "rhetor" - it means orator.) So being a rhetor on a blog that reflects and whinges and celebrates the trials and tribulations of communicating and learning in communities in a second language is all part of my research journey - and not merely a time-consuming diversion. Or, at least, I feel better thinking of it like that!
(Note to myself: that I find myself writing, or wanting to write, less in Portuguese on my blog is something I must think about more carefully).
Bochner, A. & Ellis, C. (2002) Ethnographically speaking: autoethnography, literature and aesthetics, Altamira Press.
Categories: doctorate, autoethnography, secondlanguage, politicsofrepresentation
Now, as I read an excellent book I find the words for what I'm doing. It's "autoethnography". As I prepare my doctorate about people from Portugal communicating and learning and in international online communities in English I am also telling the story of my own learning communication and learning in communities in a second language.
So, when in qualitative and ethnographic research, the discourse is about being attuned to the relationship between researcher and researched and in being highly sensitized to the "politics of representation" I feel like I'm walking the talk in a bigger way than merely having a "protocol" or a document that will pass an ethics committee.
In this book I'm reading (reference at the end) they go a step further by analysing "the relational domain ... between rhetor and reader, researcher and audience." (I had to look up "rhetor" - it means orator.) So being a rhetor on a blog that reflects and whinges and celebrates the trials and tribulations of communicating and learning in communities in a second language is all part of my research journey - and not merely a time-consuming diversion. Or, at least, I feel better thinking of it like that!
(Note to myself: that I find myself writing, or wanting to write, less in Portuguese on my blog is something I must think about more carefully).
Bochner, A. & Ellis, C. (2002) Ethnographically speaking: autoethnography, literature and aesthetics, Altamira Press.
Categories: doctorate, autoethnography, secondlanguage, politicsofrepresentation
posted by bev trayner at 12/10/2005 10:58:00 PM
2 Comments:
It smells like there is a big, giant leap forward in the air here! YAY!!!!!!
Well, let's see.
I can find no tags for moretime.
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