Fine- Ten lies of Ethnography

Question 1

Classic Virtues (Morality):
A) the kindly Ethnographer

Answer 1

-we examine unpleasant lives, groups, organizations
-illusion: of being more sympathetic then we’re
-Aids research but is deceptive
-ex; fine research on victims of child abuse laws
-investigative presupposes limited informed consent

Question 2

B) The Friendly Ethnographer

Answer 2

-“never met a man he didn’t like”
-illusion: managed affairs sweetly and well
-a) present ourselves as likable
-b)see animosities as irrelevant
-ex: punch (English private school)
-ex: Fine (little league)

Question 3

C) The honest Ethnographer

Answer 3

-by not being honest we shade what we know
-gain acceptance
-construct web of justifications for lying

-ex; Humphreys tearoom trade
-why honesty is good?

Question 4

Technical skills
A) precise ethnographer

Answer 4

-Assume fieldnotes reflect what really happened
-Illusion: A lie
-Scene did not happen as we announced
-Represent something close to what was said

Question 5

B)The observant ethnographer

Answer 5

-We assume report of a scene is complete
-Picture will always lack of detail
-We neglect the five senses

Question 6

C) The unobtrusive ethnographer (reserved, low-profile)

Answer 6

-Too great involvement can transform ethnography
-presence of observe; not to be too worrisome
—> if the impact is not excessively direct

Question 7

The ethnographic self= presentation
A) The candid ethnographer
(Frank, outspoken, open)

Answer 7

-fully unobtrusive (not draw attention to self)
-journalism operates on this claim
-illusion: everything reported actually happened
-cannot escape reality:
-presentation of ones own role is excercise in tact

Question 8

B) The Chaste Ethnographer

Answer 8

-Couplings, trysts, basically sex between ethnographers and subjects
-female ethnographers harassed by male subjects
-“go-native”
-ethnographers value/demand privacy

Question 9

C) The Fair ethnographer

Answer 9

-Is fairness possible?
-a) objectivity
-b)balance (subjectivity also problematic)
-c)participant observation becomes participant intervention
-research is always “contaminated”

Question 10

D) The literary Ethnographer

Answer 10

-Ethnography is nothing until inscribed
-Many writers write well
-but do so in language not easily translatable
-others so well readers taken by writing other than substance
-ex:Hochschild (1938) not richly ethnographic, not provide enough data
-writes too well and shares too little

Question 11

Strategies of informed control
A) Deep cover

Answer 11

In really deep, not telling people what you’re doing

Question 12

B) Explicit cover (Clearly stated)

Answer 12

Less cover

Question 13

C) Shallow cover

Answer 13

Even less cover