Verified Document

Theoretical Framework And Ethnography Article Review

¶ … Paul Atkinson when it comes to the apparent pollution that has occurred when it comes to the topic of auto-ethnography and the definition of the same. At the onset, Atkinson is lauding the work of fellow scholar Anderson and that person's critique of the "tendencies" and patterns that are occurring when it comes to how auto-ethnography is defined, encapsulated and analyzed. In particular, Atkinson wants to look through the lens of analytic ethnography and also eschew the propensity of some people to engage in ethnography work that is "subjective" and/or "evocative." While different scholars are certainly entitled to their own perspectives, there is something to be said for keeping different work on the same subject within the same basic parameters so that terms and standards mean something (Atkinson, 2006). Analysis

As stated in the introduction, Atkinson gets to his point about ethnography and auto-ethnography up front. He feels, per this article from 2006, that the definition and lens of ethnography has become muddled and confused due to the subjectivity and evocative desires of other practitioners when it comes to this realm of scholarship. In other words, his objective is clearly to clearly and concisely define...

When it comes to the theoretical framework that he relies upon, Atkinson further points out that the term "positivist" has become so watered down and "debased," the word has lost a lot of its validity and meaning. He supports this by looping in earlier works in the subject including that from Shaw, Heyl, Klockars and Bogdan. Just one concept from the theoretical framework that Atkinson makes it a point to point out is that "sociologists and anthropologists were unrealistically wedded to an ideal of entirely impersonal and dispassionate fieldwork" (Atkinson, 2008). Indeed, being detached and objective is not the least bit unrealistic or unprofessional. On the other hand, being too attached or connected to such work can be quite dangerous when it comes to the impartiality and efficacy of research (Atkinson, 2006).
As should be clear from the above, Atkin's modus operandi is clearly the use of a literature review of the works that align with his theories and views about the field of ethnography. Her aligns himself with sources that depart from the more modern view that ethnography methodology of the past…

Sources used in this document:
work cited by Atkinson is older rather than newer. The result is clearly that Atkinson wants to clarify and redefine the field in its modern context and he clearly disagrees with the opinions on the subject that others have (Atkinson, 2006).

Conclusion

The work is significant because the scholars of today do indeed define the direction that the field goes in. If people glom onto what Atkinson is saying, there will be a shift back to the definitions of more recent years. If they disagree more of the time, then the current shift will continue or things will at least remain the same. Only time will tell which of the two will prevail but at least some modicum of change and evolution is inevitable.

References

Atkinson, P. (2006). Rescuing auto-ethnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 35(4),
400-404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891241606286980
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Ethnography of a Gendered Individual
Words: 2886 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

ethnography of fictional individual who wanted to enter the medical field. The paper starts off with a 2-page assessment of a pseudo-interview that will form the structure of the entire ethnography. The interview and the analysis followed all exhibit the different social, ethnic and cultural aspects of the fictional character. Ethnography The fictional character constructed for this paper is Sara Bench. Sara is a foreigner who moved in from a European

Ethnography of Communication Analysis in High School Film
Words: 1849 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Ethnography of Communication in High School Film The EOC (ethnography of communication) is the analysis of communication within a culture, and practices of speech of a number of community. The EOC refers to the discourse analysis in linguistic drawing the anthropological field investigating the use of speech, their meaning or interpretation as being found in human groups or particular communities. The normative and cultural are two important concepts in the

Grounded Theory and Ethnography in Doctoral
Words: 879 Length: 3 Document Type:

Introduction Qualitative research designs assume many forms, and the usefulness of each depends on the research questions and the theoretical vantage point of the researcher. Five of the main approaches to qualitative research design include narrative research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case studies (Creswell & Poth, 2018). This paper will focus exclusively on two of those qualitative research designs, grounded theory and ethnography, to showcase the strengths and weaknesses of

Theoretical Analysis of Anoop Nayak's Boyz to Men
Words: 1649 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Sociology research review and critique: "Boyz to Men" Anoop Nayak's 2003 sociological study "Boyz to Men: masculinities, schooling and labour transitions in de- industrial times" examines the adaptation (or lack thereof) of a representational group working-class British young men to a changing labor economy. Life in Britain has been profoundly altered due to shifts in the class structure. There is a dearth of stable factory jobs and a shift to "service

Violence: Theory and Ethnography and
Words: 1401 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Proposal

Violence in Popular Culture The revenge motivation for violence can be seen in many films and novels, but one of the most clear-cut examples of this motivation -- as well as one of the most violent -- are Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. In this two-part movie, a former assassin (Uma Thurman) tracks down her former boss and her remaining colleagues, killing each of them one by one because they had

Ethnographic Research in Hospital Settings
Words: 699 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Planning and Design Analysis Grid Ethnographic Research of Patient Care Deitrick L; Bokovoy J; Stern G; and Panik A. (2006) Dance of the call bells: using ethnography to evaluate patient satisfaction with quality of care. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 21(4): 316-24. Retreived http://bluescrubbrigade.wikispaces.com/file/view/Dance+of+the+Call+Bells.pdf Is the research Qualitative or Quantitative? The research study is qualitative and uses ethnographic methodologies. Ethnographic methods can provide insights into patients' perceptions of quality of care. The study examined problems related

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now