Random Week 6 Thoughts

As the person in the class who loves the practical instruction, I really enjoyed getting back into the "ethnography manual" book again.  The guidelines and suggestions for note-taking were excellent and easy to understand.

For whatever reason the readings this week got me thinking about who should be doing ethnographic research.  I started thinking that the best person to study a culture in depth would be a person living in that culture.  After all, they already know the daily living activities and they can probably interpret member meanings better than an outsider.  Wouldn't this be ideal?

But that got me thinking that a member doing research on their own culture may not work out so well simply because they are too close to the subjects.  I think there is something good in having the detachment of an outside professional.  Is the outside, trained opinion better than the thoughts of the insider?  I guess I don't know if the outside opinion is better, but it is different.

I'm sure this is a thought process you have all gone through long ago, but as a newbie to the subject I thought I'd get it out now.  Still mulling it over...

See you Tuesday!

Anne