A Thrice-Told Tale: Feminism, Postmodernism, and Ethnographic Responsibility

by Margery Wolf

A Thrice-Told Tale is one ethnographer's imaginative and powerful response to the methodological issues raised by feminist and postmodernist critics of traditional ethnography. The author, a feminist anthropologist, uses three texts developed out of her research in Taiwan―a piece of fiction, anthropological fieldnotes, and a social science article―to explore some of these criticisms. Each text takes a different perspective, is written in a different style, and has different "outcomes," yet all three involve the same fascinating set of events. A young mother began to behave in a decidedly abherrant, perhaps suicidal manner, and opinion in her village was sharply divided over the reason. Was she becoming a shaman, posessed by a god? Was she deranged, in need of physical restraint, drugs, and hospitalization? Or was she being cynically manipulated by her ne'er-do-well husband to elicit sympathy and money from her neighbors? In the end, the woman was taken away from the area to her mother's house. For some villagers, this settled the matter; for others the debate over her behavior was probably never truly resolved. The first text is a short story written shortly after the incident, which occurred almost thrity years ago; the second text is a copy of the fieldnotes collected about the events covered in the short story; the third text is an article published in 1990 in American Ethnologist that analyzes the incident from the author's current perspective. Following each text is a Commentary in which the author discusses such topics as experimental ethnography, polyvocality, authorial presence and control, reflexivity, and some of the differences between fiction and ethnography. The three texts are framed by two chapters in which the author discusses the genereal problems posed by feminist and postmodernist critics of ethnography and presents her personal exploration of these issues in an argument that is strongly self-reflexive and theoretically rigorous. She considers some feminist concerns over colonial research methods and takes issues with the insistence of some feminists tha the topics of ethnographic research be set by those who are studied. The book concludes with a plea for ethnographic responsibility based on a less academic and more practical perspective.

Genres: Anthropology, Feminism, Ethnography, Nonfiction, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Academia

166 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

Reviews

[Margaret Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feminism, ethnographic study, postmodernism, and evocative ethnography…of course I enjoyed it! In particular, I enjoyed the creative/imaginative piece. I thought it was very compelling, and it made a strong case for evocative ethnography and autoethnography, both of which are methodologies I am passionate about. My only critique is that I would have liked fewer field notes and more commentary about them. Field notes can be dry to read if you are not the researcher herself, and more commentary would have helped me better understand how she wrote both her traditional academic piece and her more evocative piece. Overall, I loved the book, especially the parts where she discussed how feminist theory and postmodern theory inform her work. I am seeing more and more how feminism affects my understandings and my daily life, so I could relate to these ruminations.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am probably one of few to read this for pleasure and not a class but i have to say it was excellent! the fieldnotes were a little rough to get through but i love the concept and found the commentary to be very insightful and relevant even 30+ years later.

[Jack Schlawin · Rating 4 out of 5]

very intersting for those who like ethnography (which i only have a tiny bit of background info of) and feminism (about the same amount). it can get a bit repetitive with the way its structured but it provides a good comparison for the purpose of reflexivity.

[Astrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Feminist" as far as 1992 goes i suppose. Wolf has some points, but I gained more insight from what was written in the margins from the previous owner of this book. Helpful moreso as a kind of "what not to do" as far as opinions when combining fiction & ethnographic research

[Athalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was informative. I’m not into ethnography but I am a psychology major, and there’s a huge importance in understanding culture when approaching different clients. Very useful info that will keep in mind!

[Nicole1999 · Rating 2 out of 5]

read for ANTH 3003

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this ethnography very much. Wolf created a novel rather than a ethnographic text.

[versarbre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is essential that we continue wherever and however we can to revise the old truths, but it is also essential that we begin to construct new, less false stories.”

[Riversue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting way of looking at ethnography by taking a specific field incident and telling it in multiple ways.

[Andrea Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult read, even with a background in anthropology. But incredibly interesting and informative.

[Ensiform · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, as the title says, presents in three ways an episode which Wolf witnessed while doing research in Taiwan: as a short (fictional) story, as unedited field notes, and as an scholarly article on the incidents. The events concerned a woman who began to act aberrantly: her fellow villagers wondered whether she was becoming a shaman medium for a god, faking this to make money, possessed by a ghost, or if she had just gone crazy. Wolf provides her three texts with commentary in which she defends this kind of ethnography against postmodernist attacks of appropriation and colonialist patronizing. She agrees that biases exist, but they should not stop one from exploring other cultures, and that authorial structure is required to provide comprehension to more complex reality.

While this book is an interesting idea, I found it, unfortunately, ultimately boring, because the postmodernist attacks seem to me to be so stupid. It is patently obvious that authors infuse their texts with bias. But there is no other way to study other cultures; indeed, it is preferable to give in to them, since otherwise one ends up showing only what a society itself wants to show --- and leaving women out of the Asian picture, for example (feminism at odds with multiculturalism, here). Obviously, the only way to learn about anything is to study it from all angles.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book a quite honest and intriguing presentation of ethnographic study. The book explores three presentations of the same cultural event that took place in Taiwan in 1960 each accompanied by commentary. Wolf responds to various criticisms of feminism and postmodernism with balance and insight. I found the contrast of the three genres (fictionalized account, field notes, and scholarly article) to be both interesting and an insightful way to raise these issues. Highly recommended.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is undoubtedly pointy-headed and a brilliant outline of the ways we academics, researchers, and writers can and should make different uses of our evidence. It should be compulsory reading for every graduate student in the social sciences and humanities.

[Shasta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely boring:(

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Upon further reflection, I hated this.