Essay on The Role of the Reflexive Ethnographer - 1252 Words

The Role of the Reflexive Ethnographer Works Cited Missing The role of the reflexive ethnographer has been constantly defined and redefined since the beginning of the study of anthropology. The use of reflexivity has and will always be questioned in anthropology. Malinowski, who was a pioneer in the field of anthropology, discouraged the use of reflexivity; he, instead, believed that anthropology was scientific and could produce â€Å"concrete evidence† (Malinowski 17). Reflexivity is way in which anthropologists try to get rid of this scientific and rigid anthropology; it is a move towards an emotional and self-reflective anthropology. Reflexivity denies the structuralism which Malinowski and Levi-Strauss attended to. In†¦show more content†¦Visweswaran believes that reflexive anthropology did not begin with â€Å"Paul Rabinow, Jean-Paul Dumont and Vincent Crapanzano† (Visweswaran 22) but began with women who, because of societal constraints, could not be anthropologists. These women’s writings, she claims, have been â€Å"dismissed as ‘popularized accounts’ or as ‘confessional field literature’† (Visweswaran 21). These ethnographies have been also called â€Å"inadequate science† (Visweswaran 21); this is in relation to Malinowski’s belief that anthropology is a structured and scientific method. It is ironic then that men are â€Å"heralded as exemplars of this new genre† (Visweswaran 22) when women began reflexivity before them. Visweswaran goes on to analyze these formerly unknown and ignored female texts; she looks at these ethnographies to make her own ethnography. These ethnographies, for Visweswaran, are ethnographies in the text themselves; they reveal the female author’s â€Å"complex negotiation of positionality within a single gender domain† (Visweswaran 27). Visweswaran is thus reflexive about the female identity and hence about her own identity. She believes that anthropologists should be reflexive withShow MoreRelatedEssay on Reflexivity and Modern Works of Anthropology1090 Words   |  5 PagesReflexivity and Modern Works of Anthropology The role of reflexivity in Anthropology has changed a great deal over time. The effects of doing ethnography on the ethnographer was not considered an important mode of inquiry in the past. While inevitably, going to far distant lands and living with a culture so different from your own will at least cause the ethnographer to reflect on personal issues but most likely will cause profound changes in the way he or she will view the world. But in theRead More Anthropology1316 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology Anthropology what a vulnerable observer you are! 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Although it is not very clear from the paper whether the researcher used recording often or not, one can assume, that Russell used recommendationsRead MoreQualitative Research For Social Sciences2216 Words   |  9 Pagesto these new ideas and generate questions that will be appropriate and relevant to the central focus of the interview. This style was used in Devis-Devis, Beltran-Carrillo and Peiro-Velert’s study (2015) on the socio-ecological factors that play a role in adolescents’ physical activity. They guided the students using a semi-structured interview by using questions such as, â€Å"do you like sports? Do you like exercising? Are you good at sports?† etc. This is an example of a semi-structured interview because