Feminist and oral history research investigates both cultural and social relationships within the larger context of historical events, economic pressures, and political environments (Buch 107). Ethnographies illuminate the connections and patterns that exist within the studied subjects’ social lives, including intricacies related to work, family, language, spirituality, among others. Unlike other forms of research which create distance between researcher and subject, ethnography relies heavily upon relationships formed during the interview/research process. “Using the self” aids ethnographers in understanding cultural or social processes that may appear strange or foreign (Buch 108). Ethnography typically relies upon months—or even years—of
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For example, Mary L. Gray’s Out in the Country explores the experiences of queer youth who live in rural areas. Her work is unusual because it focuses upon a group of people largely absent from contemporary scholarship regarding queer youth. Indeed, Gray complicates the notion that gay identity was born in the streets of urban America by giving visibility to queer people in the country (Gray 7). In addition, feminist ethnography is also useful for pushing back against ethnography’s colonial roots. Feminist ethnographers challenge colonial ideas of us and them by positioning Western cultures and spaces as subjects of study. In doing so, feminist ethnographers broaden the scope of research while also refusing to reinforce notions of the “Other” in ethnographic …show more content…
I want to be cognizant of anthropology’s role in reinforcing and justifying colonialism, but I also seek to understand the ways that ethnographic methods can be used in order to help communities or inform outsiders. The people that I interview are often considered racist, uniformed, and bigoted, however, my research so far indicates that reenactors shun these interpretations and often try to move beyond such harmful stereotypes. Indeed, by including voices of all different types of reenactors (women, people of color, disabled people, transgender reenactors, etc) it has become obvious that the reenacting community writ large is far more diverse, and far more interested in improving their hobby, than what I had previously
For example, Mary L. Gray’s Out in the Country explores the experiences of queer youth who live in rural areas. Her work is unusual because it focuses upon a group of people largely absent from contemporary scholarship regarding queer youth. Indeed, Gray complicates the notion that gay identity was born in the streets of urban America by giving visibility to queer people in the country (Gray 7). In addition, feminist ethnography is also useful for pushing back against ethnography’s colonial roots. Feminist ethnographers challenge colonial ideas of us and them by positioning Western cultures and spaces as subjects of study. In doing so, feminist ethnographers broaden the scope of research while also refusing to reinforce notions of the “Other” in ethnographic …show more content…
I want to be cognizant of anthropology’s role in reinforcing and justifying colonialism, but I also seek to understand the ways that ethnographic methods can be used in order to help communities or inform outsiders. The people that I interview are often considered racist, uniformed, and bigoted, however, my research so far indicates that reenactors shun these interpretations and often try to move beyond such harmful stereotypes. Indeed, by including voices of all different types of reenactors (women, people of color, disabled people, transgender reenactors, etc) it has become obvious that the reenacting community writ large is far more diverse, and far more interested in improving their hobby, than what I had previously