10.31: Part Two

Britt and Subrina gave their presentation on Livingstone (thank you).

They set up important discussions about how to organize an essay, the ethics of ethnographic research; methodologies & methods and how to DO ethnographic research.

Organization:  we noticed that Livingstone used her data to set up discussions, challenge assumptions, and as "examples" rather than as a basis for a theoretical frame to answers to the questions she was asking.  Rather - she drew from existing theory + research to answer questions(contradictions to expectations) posed by her research.  She moved back and forth between data + writing by other theorists => with other theorists.

Ethics:  In our discussion to discover what assumptions/values (methodology) Livingstone brought to her essay, we spent some time talking about decisions that researchers - particularly ethnographers - need to make with respect to whether their commitment is to their research (providing a clear, well documented answer => discovering the "truth") or whether it is to their subjects - or some combination of commitments in between.  You raised important questions and concerns.  While in some sense - the answers will be unique to each of you, though there are rules for working with Human Subjects, based on requirements for medical research, and if you do a project associted with Kean that you hope to publish - you will be required to take training.

Methodology: We identified Livingstone's methodology by comparing her assumptions about "truth" and what counts as knowledge, her ethics, values and objectives, and her methods to the methodologies we have talked about so far.  Subrina suggested that she used a social constructivist approach since she allowed that there were multiple truths, she uses qualitative methods, and she used observation + analysis in light of larger cultural stories/formations - and that was our best answer.

Methods:   We talked about what she needed to "do" to conduct ethnography.  You should have a good list in your notes!
You need to document: setting, characters (people), actions/interactions = in descriptive language ( no conclusions/inferences)

For Thursday, November 3
Send a copy of your DA essay as an attachment.
Blog 13: post the draft for you DA essay
Read Alsop (p. 111)

Come to class prepared to take part in an the ethnographic exercise (group participation in solving a brainteaser)