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‘On a Hot Day in the Field . . . ’: − The Art of Writing Ethnographic Vignettes
Full text linkLong-term and in-depth ethnographic fieldwork is at the very heart of almost every anthropological study. Whilst in the field, the researcher engages deeply over a long period of time with informants and their lifeworlds. These intense encounters form the basis for the analytical results of the study and as such must be processed and made accessible for the prospective reader. Many ethnographers do so by using ethnographic vignettes. Vignettes are narrative descriptions of particular scenes, placed within the main text. The name might suggest that they are mere adornments, but they should rather be understood as tools by which to grasp analytical conclusions. Through them, the reader shares the experiences of the researcher and can even indirectly witness important moments of insight. But how does one write a good vignette? What should it entail? This paper addresses these questions by reviewing the literature on vignettes and drawing on the author’s own experiences
Different Kinds of Storytelling: Ethnographic Writing and Documentary Film-Making
Full text linkThis paper compares and contrasts ethnographic writing to ethnographic film-making as different ways of crafting a narrative. Films have the ability to reach larger audiences, including our own informants, and to make audiences feel connected to the central participants who seem to speak directly to them, but are less conducive to providing the broader context for those stories or showcasing stories that are less visually interesting. Film also seems more effective for making an intervention in policy or public opinion. Both modes of storytelling involve the selection of a few key incidents from a much larger set of footage or fieldnotes to tell a compelling story, shaped by emotion or theory, and the manipulation of the strongest elements available to construct that story. Documentary film-makers are more willing to discuss the construction of their product than ethnographic writers. Finally, the form of the final product, whether dissertation, monograph, or film, shapes the process of inquiry and discovery, affecting what is learnt and what is possible to tell. I came to documentary film-making as a result of my dissatisfactions with ethnographic writing, but I have realised that film does not replace writing; rather, they work in tandem, with different goals and possibilities. Based on my experiences of writing three monographs and making, in a less skilled fashion, two short documentaries on the same themes, this paper reflects on ethnographic storytelling through different media
How to write? Experiences, challenges and possibilities of ethnographic writing
Full text linkEthnography, as text, is the main outcome of fieldwork. It is also the most important way in which anthropologists communicate and share their findings. As a consequence, despite substantial critique by postmodern anthropology on how ethnographic texts in the past have represented the reality and life-worlds of others, ethnographic writing remains at the centre of the anthropological enterprise. But how to write? The so-called Writing Culture debate, together with feminist and postcolonial approaches, has stimulated new ways to do and write ethnography. But where much has been published on how to master fieldwork, it is still hard to find advice on how to go ‘from notes to narratives’ (Ghodsee 2016) and write a convincing ethnography. This special issue brings together a diverse range of contributions on how to write ethnography. Contributors reflect on ethical challenges, including issues of confidentiality and questions of representation. Writing is discussed as a way to construct and deconstruct truth(s). Temporalities of ethnographic writing are scrutinised and different writing styles, like vignettes and portraits, are introduced. Engagement with other modes of representation and storytelling, like film-making and photography, pushes beyond the written medium. The special issue concludes with two contributions on how to teach and learn ethnographic writing
‘The Disease will Come!’ Contingency, Irony, and Challenging Closures in Ethnographic Writing
Full text linkDrawing on a brief ethnographic encounter in north-western Laos, this paper argues that fleeting encounters in the field can bring unforeseen topics and phenomena to the fieldworker’s attention – in this case rumours circulating about an antidote to the impending coronavirus disease. The paper explores the resonances of this rumour with experiences from previous fieldwork and discusses a variety of local reactions, including mockery and self-deprecating gestures. Reflecting on narrative choices in ethnographic writing, the paper argues that the inclusion of contingent encounters in ethnographic writing, how they unfolded in the field and were grounded in sociality, can allow the illumination of how ethnographic knowledge is produced. Finally, this contribution argues that sensitivity to contingency and irony allows for ethnographic writing that challenges epistemic closure
Space to Write: A Student’s Perspective on Ethnographic Writing
Full text linkHow and where do we learn to write ethnographically? What should this space look like? Although there is an emphasis on academic writing in universities, often little attention is given to ethnographic writing. This is a problem when ethnographic texts require a different skill set and can sometimes leave students lost in a labyrinth of words. Ethnographies are an entirely different species of writing from the traditional academic essay. They require the writer to bring out an atmosphere, a particular way of talking, a total sensory experience, a relationship between oneself and another, all of which can be captured in a million different ways. Drawing on my own participation in a series of ethnographic writing seminars and my own learning process and development as a writer, I reflect on what kind of environment is needed to develop these skills. Three conditions were especially important: freedom, experimentation, and collaboration. I advocate for an alternative space within universities - a space free from structured templates and marking schemes; a space where students can experiment with different styles, figurative techniques, narration, and form; a space where people can share their ideas without fear or judgement and where they can help each other find their own unique voices
Anthropology Anonymous? Pseudonyms and Confidentiality as Challenges for Ethnography in the Twenty-first Century
Full text linkThis article reflects on the delicate issue of confidentiality and anonymity in contemporary anthropological research. It focuses on the challenges of assigning pseudonyms and disguising the identity of interlocutors and participants, especially in the contemporary context of the widespread use of social media and the internet. Drawing on the moral dilemmas, struggles, and failures that I experienced in relation to these issues in my own research, the article discusses the complexity of finding the right balance between respecting research participants’ interests and well-being, on the one hand, and living up to both the high ethical standards of the discipline and the desire to provide a meaningful analysis of ‘real’ issues, people, and places, on the other
Anthropology Anonymous? Some Comments to Julia Vorhölter
Full text linkThis brief comment discusses the methodological and ethical implications and complications of anonymising ethnographic research. Special attention is given to the possibility of use of pseudonyms and its hazards and to the moral imperative of trust
Narrative from an Old Photograph: How Absences Make the Story and Inspire Research on Craft Apprenticeship in Benin
Full text linkGenerally, photographs are used in anthropology as documentary artefacts to support external narratives or as visual representations of situations or events from the past. Using photographs allows researchers to explore and describe situations, recreate images, and illustrate anthropological discourses within a field of research. Reconstructing the context in which an image was taken gives the picture an extra dimension that can be related to many topics. In my case, orphans, kinship fostering, schooling, and craft apprenticeship are the topics that frame my analysis of a twenty-four-year-old family photograph. The story behind this specific photograph informed my research on craft apprenticeship. The story was told by a childhood friend who was absent from this family photograph because he was forced, on the very day the photograph was taken, to start an apprenticeship as welder
No Magic! Teaching Ethnographic Writing
Full text linkIn this essay, I reflect on my experiences in teaching ethnographic writing to graduate anthropology students over the last decade. After years of experimenting with different course formats and ethnographic exercises, the anthropology department in Hamburg now offers two courses on ethnographic writing before fieldwork and one course after students have returned from the field. The first course, taken before students conduct their master’s fieldwork, focuses on reading ethnographies. It draws on John van Maanen’s (1988 [2011]) Tales of the Field to explore different writing styles and guides students to imitate these styles in different writing exercises. The second preparatory course introduces students to ethnographic writing through the observation of everyday interactions. Students observe, take notes, and write ethnographic narratives about visits to a playground, an elevator ride, or lunchtime in the university cafeteria. When students return from their master’s fieldwork, they finally participate in the ‘Ethnographic Writing Workshop’. Here students write and revise key ethnographic scenes, dialogues, and portraits derived from their fieldwork. This set of ethnographic writing courses encourages students to read (more) ethnographies, reflect on writing styles, and work on their own writing in groups and by themselves. With this essay, I want to initiate a dialogue about different approaches to teaching ethnographic writing.In this essay, I reflect on my experiences in teaching ethnographic writing to graduate anthropology students over the last decade. After years of experimenting with different course formats and ethnographic exercises, the anthropology department in Hamburg now offers two courses on ethnographic writing before fieldwork and one course after students have returned from the field. The first course, taken before students conduct their master’s fieldwork, focuses on reading ethnographies. It draws on John van Maanen’s (1988 [2011]) Tales of the Field to explore different writing styles and guides students to imitate these styles in different writing exercises. The second preparatory course introduces students to ethnographic writing through the observation of everyday interactions. Students observe, take notes, and write ethnographic narratives about visits to a playground, an elevator ride, or lunchtime in the university cafeteria. When students return from their master’s fieldwork, they finally participate in the ‘Ethnographic Writing Workshop’. Here students write and revise key ethnographic scenes, dialogues, and portraits derived from their fieldwork. This set of ethnographic writing courses encourages students to read (more) ethnographies, reflect on writing styles, and work on their own writing in groups and by themselves. With this essay, I want to initiate a dialogue about different approaches to teaching ethnographic writing
Introduction
Full text linkEthnography, as text, is the main outcome of fieldwork. It is also the most important way in which anthropologists communicate and share their findings. As a consequence, despite substantial critique by postmodern anthropology on how ethnographic texts in the past have represented the reality and life-worlds of others, ethnographic writing remains at the centre of the anthropological enterprise. But how to write? The so-called Writing Culture debate, together with feminist and postcolonial approaches, has stimulated new ways to do and write ethnography. But where much has been published on how to master fieldwork, it is still hard to find advice on how to go ‘from notes to narratives’ (Ghodsee 2016) and write a convincing ethnography. This special issue brings together a diverse range of contributions on how to write ethnography. Contributors reflect on ethical challenges, including issues of confidentiality and questions of representation. Writing is discussed as a way to construct and deconstruct truth(s). Temporalities of ethnographic writing are scrutinised and different writing styles, like vignettes and portraits, are introduced. Engagement with other modes of representation and storytelling, like film-making and photography, pushes beyond the written medium. The special issue concludes with two contributions on how to teach and learn ethnographic writing