The Politics of Ethnography: A Subject-Centered Approach

• In Event: 082 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session I
  In Refereed Roundtable: A. Table 11. Ethnomethodology

Abstract

The following paper proposes “A Subject-Centered Ethnography” as a way to address some of the personal and political dilemmas that face the ethnographer in their work, particularly work that is researching politics and dealing with dynamic power relations. There are three “R’s” associated this kind of ethnography: reflexivity, relationships, and representation. I explore what each of these means looking at ways in which other ethnographers have defined these rather nebulous terms. With each of the three moments there exists a dilemma, with the reflexive moment there is the possible existential dilemma, with relationships there is the interpersonal dilemma, and finally, with representation, there is the political dilemma.

Author

• Siri J. Colom, Connecticut College