Autoethnography

by Tony E. Adams, Stacy Holman Jones, Carolyn Ellis

Autoethnography is a method of research that involves describing and analyzing personal experiences in order to understand cultural experiences. The method challenges canonical ways of doing research and recognizes how personal experience influences the research process. Autoethnography acknowledges and accomodates subjectivity, emotionality, and the researcher's influence on research. In this book, the authors provide a historical and conceptual overview of autoethnography. They share their stories of coming to autoethnography and identify key concerns and considerations that led to the development of the method. Next, they outline the purposes and practices--the core ideals--of autoethnography, how autoethnographers can accomplish these ideals, and why researchers might choose to do autoethnography. They describe the processes of doing autoethnography, conducting fieldwork, discussing ethics in research, and interpreting and analyzing personal experience, and they explore the
various modes and techniques used and involved in writing autoethnography. They conclude with goals for creating and assessing autoethnography and describe the future of autoethnographic inquiry. Throughout, the authors provide numerous examples of their work and share key resources. This book will serve as both a guide to the practices of doing autoethnography and an exemplar of autoethnographic research processes and representations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Anthropology

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU).

Reviews

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baixei esse livro em alguns lugares ermos e vis da internet porque estava procurando uma metodologia para um artigo e queria saber o que é essa tal autoetnografia que tanto falam e que parece ser uma nova metodologia bastante popular pelo menos em estudos de gringos (já que no Brasil a realidade é bem mais precária). Então lendo este livro escrito a seis mãos por três autores diferentes acabei percebendo que o que fiz no produto do meus mestrado foi propriamente um trabalho de autoetnografia - sim, pelo menos no produto - e que ele seguiu algumas técnicas e parâmetros que eu acabei estabelecendo ao estudar um trabalho autoetnográfico de outrem. Assim, lendo o que os autores deste livro, Autoethnography têm a dizer, percebo que estava trilhando às cegas por uma caminho já trilhado. E que, no final, acabei me saindo bem ser ter que ler um livro inteiro sobre isso. Claro, talvez se eu tivesse lido livros assim na época eles me ajudariam a justificar algumas coisas no trabalho e a defender com mais segurança os padrões que encontrei. Mas enfim, né, é o que dizem o trabalho só está completo quando você diz que o completou. E mesmo assim, depois, ainda surgem outras coisas que seria muito interessantes para compementá-los.

[Lavinia-Marina Pascu · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a good book as a start for someone who wants to learn more or just to discover about Auto-ethnography.

[Kat Heiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Ellis's autoethnographic, methodologican novel "The Ethnographic I" and really enjoyed it. This was a more straightforward "textbook-like" overview of the method, but very readable and informative. The myriad of resources provided will make my autoethnographic thesis project that much easier! This book also really made me feel like conforming to things like a formal "objective" tone in academic writing is something that shouldn't be taken for granted as the "right way." As long as research is comprehensive, I fully believe narrative and personal experience enhance it for readers and writers. I strive to live the "autoethnographic life" in the way these scholars do, even though I'm not planning on making academia my career. I find autoethnography to be more egalitarian, personal, emotional, and thoughtful than traditional, stodgy research papers and hope to do work that continues to advance the field that these authors have been trailblazers in.

[Margaret Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction of autoethnography with suggestions for further reading, so readers can learn about the topic in more depth