The Ethnographic I

One night I was doing the good old trick of searching the internet for random academic books. Although I enjoy recommendations I also like discovering texts especially if they are inspiring. Normally it is the case that you end up with a parcel of very cheap second hand books that you simply want to pass on as quickly as possible. However there are very rare occassions when the hand of fate delivers and you find a gem. This was the case with 'The Ethnographic I' by Carolyn Ellis. 

Part story, part text book it blends the two seamlessly together. I found myself seriously considering reading it in bed as it was so captivating. I found myself empathising with the group of students at the heart of the book and being drawn into their private worlds. I cared about their research and the impact upon their family situations. Yet they were characters partly or fully created to serve a purpose. They expressed particular views and opinions and were crucial in the creation of plot and drama. And yet they were also very real as the eponymous lead character, Carolyn, is. Hearing her stories of loss and grief moved me due to an openness and honesty she appeared to have with those she encountered. So intense were her stories I often felt that I was eavesdropping into a private conversation between close friends. All of this was wrapped up in a methodological text book.

Suddenly my thesis made sense.  It made me realise how creative it was possible to be and still produce an academic piece of writing. Ethnography and autoethnography are growing in acceptance and researchers like Ellis are at the forefront of this developing field. I was always wary of ethnographic research and made every attempt to avoid it. I saw it as woolly and selfish with little use for a wider audience. Over time my thoughts had shifted and it was a strange day when I was forced to admit that I had moved away from a constructivist action research mentality and was actually writing in an ethnographic style. 

I cannot recall another textbook having as much of an impact on my own writing before nor being as challenging and thought provoking. It certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities that such an approach could offer.