Help for Auto-Ethnography?

SnazzyTraveller
SnazzyTraveller Posts: 457 Member
in Chit-Chat
I have to do an auto-ethnography for uni, which for those who don't know, is a study of Self through Other. I need to do some reflexive thinking and study an event or subculture nearby and learn more about myself, and my culture. I'm looking for a topic/something to study. It can;t be anything I need to go through any ethics approval for, its just worth 15% so I can't spend hours of participant observation either.

Some examples are attending a service/event for a religion that is not your own or a sport event. However it needs to be something I have no previous connections or experience with. I'll be attending whatever it is I chose and then analyze what goes on, the reactions of my culture and then connect that to myself and innate cultural responses.


I've been stuck on this for ages now. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Replies

  • rjt1000
    rjt1000 Posts: 700 Member
    I have to do an auto-ethnography for uni, which for those who don't know, is a study of Self through Other. I need to do some reflexive thinking and study an event or subculture nearby and learn more about myself, and my culture. I'm looking for a topic/something to study. It can;t be anything I need to go through any ethics approval for, its just worth 15% so I can't spend hours of participant observation either.

    Some examples are attending a service/event for a religion that is not your own or a sport event. However it needs to be something I have no previous connections or experience with. I'll be attending whatever it is I chose and then analyze what goes on, the reactions of my culture and then connect that to myself and innate cultural responses.


    I've been stuck on this for ages now. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

    go to a sporting event with rabid fans and observe them. If you're in Europe- pick a good soccer match. If in the US, check out a college football game. Crazy football fans (US football or European football) are a culture onto themselves.
  • SnazzyTraveller
    SnazzyTraveller Posts: 457 Member
    [/quote]

    go to a sporting event with rabid fans and observe them. If you're in Europe- pick a good soccer match. If in the US, check out a college football game. Crazy football fans (US football or European football) are a culture onto themselves.
    [/quote]

    Alright that's a good idea! thx

    Only thing is I need to be studying myself in all of this...
  • trudob
    trudob Posts: 16 Member
    How about talking to someone about there experiences and ideas about fitness and health and then this can help you to reflect on your own experiences and views. You can include your cultural view point.
    My friend is writing a masters at the moment and hers is about living in another country for a few years and how her perspective of dance changed. you could talk about how your perspective of health and fitness changed and what were the experiences that caused these changes in your life. Like reflecting on your own life but making meaning of them.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    Easiest to write around an event - gives you a structure right off the bat. Choose something accessible. Wedding involving different cultural or religious traditions would be easy, if you happen to already be invited to one. You could exploit all the gender stuff pretty easily.

    Religious service, also easy, (if it's an open-door kind of place of worship) > talk about your own religion/secularity. Flea market, garage sale, auction, farmers' market > your relationship to money/the economy/class/food, or whatever hits you first. Political rally (for something that's not your politics).

    The reactions of your culture bit - one way to get at that is just observe your knee-jerk impressions & biases ("oh, that's weird", or "how xyz"), & question them, using something witnessed in the event to turn that reaction on its head, and then relate that to some point about your culture that's already established in the literature.

    Oh you said religion, yup that's easy, plus Christian services usually happen on Sundays (easy to plan around). Don't worry about the event being original, it's your response that matters.
  • SnazzyTraveller
    SnazzyTraveller Posts: 457 Member
    thanks so much guys! or gals i should say. really helpful advice and i'm taking them all into consideration!

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