In his reply below, Tom is confusing what Denzin said
with what I said. It is Denzin who mentions that
performance ethnography should be considered OUTSIDE
of a one model fits all approach. This seemed to me to
mean that there exist MORE than one model, yes?
That I wish to consider my relationships with
narrators beyond (rather than 'outside' actually) more
traditional binary approaches, means to me that I am
willing to move beyond traditional considerations of
the researcher/researched and play with the boundaries
of our roles. I often, in fact, write about this
relationship as performer/first audience (still a
binary, I know!).
For me, the defended subject is one helpful lens
through which to consider data. I don't and never
have considered it the only lens through which data
can be examined. I am still very committed to
multiple viewpoints and considerations of narrative
data through the use of refective teams. This
includes involving participants who may bring a wide
variety of academic theories to the data, but make the
greatest contribution to understanding through their
reflecting upon a narration through their own life
worlds. It is in the reflective team process that the
seeds are sown for later performative interpretation
of narrations.
Cheers,
Kip
--- "Tom Wengraf (Tom3)" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> Kip wrote:
>
> > Debra brings up some points for further thought.
> >
> > I went back to Denzin in the past few days to get
> his
> > take on some of this.
> >
> > He believes that performance ethnography falls
> outside
> > of a 'one model of research fits all forms of
> inquiry'
> > model.
>
> However, Kip then suggests what might be take as a
> new "oe model of research
> fits all", namely an anti-binary one:
>
> > '...A collaborative, public, pedagogical
> > relationship betwen subject and researcher is
> > developed. ...Confidentiality disappears, for
> there
> > is nothing to hide, or protect. Participation is
> > entirely voluntary, hence there is no need for a
> > consent form. ...participants are not asked to
> submit
> > to specific procedures or treatment conditions.
> > Instead, acting together, researchers and subjects
> > work to produce change in the world' (Denzin
> > 2003:7-8).
> >
> He concludes
>
> > I now see that I need to abandon completely the
> > researcher/researched binary and aim my data
> > collection more clearly at participatory
> > collaborations that engage with people who have
> > stories to tell that they want others to hear and
> are
> > willing to 'let go' of those stories.."
>
> I think that for many research purposes I would go
> along with this, and
> would be very glad whenever I could.
>
> However, along with Debra, there are many research
> contexts and many
> research purposes when "another size" is required to
> fit. One set of these
> is covered by a generalised assumption, and the
> other by the implications of
> that assumption for a particular research focus.
>
> 1) The generalised assumption is that of the
> 'defended subject' (or at least
> the semi-defended one) wherebye (in this model) we
> all defend ourselves
> against anxiety by not-knowing certain things about
> our inner and our
> external worlds. [A corresponding assumption is that
> of a 'repressive
> external world' -- or at least a semi-repressive one
> -- in which real
> cultural and material sanctions occur in the society
> to those who don't
> accept the collective 'not-knowing' on which a
> particular societal regime is
> grounded].
>
> The implications of the model of the 'semi-defended
> subjectivity' for the
> occasional specific research purpose of
> understanding the subjectivity of
> the narrator is that, when pursuing this particular
> research purpose, the
> researcher/researched binary [or the me as one
> defended self and you as
> another one] is implacably in place and should not
> be sentimentally
> 'imagined away' in what might be seen as 'identity
> thinking'. Such a
> sentimental 'denial of difference' will result in a
> failure to care
> sufficiently for the 'different other'. I would go
> along with Debra on this.
>
> If the research purpose is that of 'relaying' and
> focusing on the "told
> stories of the people who have stories to tell that
> they wish others to
> hear" -- and very often the researcher may be happy
> to be the re-teller and
> disseminator of such stories in the ways that Kip
> describes and helps us to
> find innovatory forms and means for, then the
> problem described in the
> previous paragraph is less likely to arise. For a
> lot of research and
> dissemination purposes, this may well be the case.
>
> However, if our research question is less on the
> story told but more on the
> teller of the told story then the problem of how to
> handle one's own and
> other people's similar or different 'defensiveness'
> should not be avoided,
> and other models (including different binaries) may
> be the 'right size'.
Dr Kip Jones
Reader in Health Related Social Science
Centre for Qualitative Research
Institute of Health & Community Studies
Bournemouth University United Kingdom
Website: www.kipworld.net
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