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Reflexivity and ethnography
Reflexivity and ethnography
Reflexivity and ethnography
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The Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography
Reflexivity, as I understand it, is very well named.It is the practice of reflecting upon oneself and one’s work, of being self-aware and self-critical. In anthropology, it is well exemplified by the work of Renato Rosaldo, Ruth Behar, and Dorinne Kondo, among others. In its most obvious form (or at least the form most obvious to me), reflexivity is manifest in the practice of an ethnographer including herself in her own ethnographic research---seeing herself not as an “unbiased, impartial” (Malinowski 18) observer, but as an essential and un-removable part of her study. The effect of reflexivity on ethnographic writing has been, however, much broader than just that. It signals “a departure from the ideology of objectivity [and] distance” which for so long pervaded ethnography (Marcus 189). For those who choose to employ it, reflexivity offers the (often daunting) liberty of not presuming to have all the answers. While this obviously presents logistical problems for anthropology (such as: If we can’t ever come to an answer, then what’s the point?), reflexivity has had a hand in producing some of the most compelling, unassuming texts that I’ve read.
Anthropology is, in my opinion, not a science.It’s simply not that static. Culture is not something that can be understood the way one can understand gravity or electricity.It is open for interpretation, open for many different interpretations, and I like it that way. I’m immediately turned off by an ethnographer who claims to know the truth about his subject: frankly, I don’t believe it. And even if something is “true” for a given culture at a given time, who’s to say it won’t have completely changed in five years? I think that formulating a...
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...e only one, and that no one ethnographer can prove that they’ve “gotten” a culture any more than any one else (197).
Again, this brings me back to the “then what’s the point?” problem. In my opinion, what we need are more interpretations of cultures. In that case, there is even more of a need for the work that we do as ethnographers. The “point” is actually larger now than it was before. How much would critical thinking be facilitated if we had something compare with and be critical about? Any interpretation of culture is worth looking at because, since a human thought it up, it’s within our realm of study. As Rosaldo writes, “the truth of objectivism---absolute, universal, and timeless--- has lost its monopoly status” (21). The goal now is to find a reflexive, self-critical medium between objectivism and self-indulgence. I feel like we might actually get there.
The field of anthropology looks at culture more analytically than any other social science. Cultural anthropologists are concerned with describing and analyzing societies and cultures as life ways. In attempting to study the life way of the Center members anthropologically, Myerhoff is beginning with the preconceived notion that there actually is a culture that exists among the individuals. It seems that she begins her research with certain assumptions about this culture. However, as her studies progressed, it is clear that she realized that her research would need to be much more intense than she had planned in order to fully unders...
Each culture has a certain level of ethnocentrism which can have positive and negative consequences. Ethnocentrism provides a feeling of unwillingness to change one’s culture or specific institution by placing them in a box. They can only see things through their specific lens and when something differs from what they know, they believe that it is a violation of the ways things should be. They become ignorant of the cultures that they may be right in the middle of by comparing them to the culture that they are familiar with and grading it on a scale. This causes a level of unwillingness to change institutions within a society because they are the standard. This makes it exceedingly difficult to relate to other people and the world as a whole because when someone is always trying to look at something while envisioning it as something else; they will never fully see the beauty of what they are observing. They limit their own experience for the sake of comfort and security, for the safety found within the familiar. Ethnocentrism is the safety blanket for many people yet the enervation that prevents them from fully experiencing the world and all of its different
CPR involves breathing for the victim and applying external chest compression to make the heart pump. When paramedics arrive, medications and/or electrical shock (car...
Throughout the story, Buck develops many adaptations to the arctic environment, including those from his primordial ancestors. Buck as well as the other dogs are forced to form new routines and adapt to their environment in order to survive. Buck starts to become more primitive than civilized as the story progresses, for he begins to develop things that he had never possessed back when he lived in his more civilized domain with Judge Miller. In The Call of the Wild by Jack London, characters go through changes in the environment, routine and lifestyle, which results in the growth of their physical and mental strength, as well as their aptness to adapt and survive.
When I was a kid my parents always took me to Nathdwara to take the blessings of Lord Krishna every now and then because my parents are so religious. So by going there several times I am also attached to that place. Actually Nathdwara is situated in Rajasthan state and I live in the state called Gujarat and in the city called as Ahmedabad. It takes six hours drive from my city to Nathdwara and this is the only nearest place where I could get mental peace. This is very important place for me and my family because it is a tradition of our family that whoever goes there gives free food to the hungry and poor people. We do so because we think that if we do good work in our life we will be allowed by god to go to the heaven. [The two states on the left are Gujarat and Rajasthan. One in light blue color is Gujarat with the arrows and on the top of it with cream color is Rajasthan. I live in the middle of the state and Nathdwara is at the border of the Rajasthan]
For a long time, the popular belief about anthropology was that it was the study of “far away” or “exotic” cultures. After my 10 weeks in Professor Michael Perez’s Anthropology 101 class, I now know this to be anything but the truth. My immediate thought’s for a cultural event to observe were reflective of these misconceptions – I considered an Indian wedding, a winter festival, a family friend’s Quinceanera. Nothing stood out to me.
CPR is (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). This procedure is used to restore blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. All the cells in a human body require oxygen to survive, they also require a good supply of nutrients and removal of all waste products. In your lungs oxygen enters your blood and carbon dioxide is removed, this process is called gas exchange. Cardiac arrest is when your heart completely stops beating. Although your heart stops, this is not the same as a heart attack . a heart attack may lead to cardiac arrest. There are many causes that can put you in a state of cardiac arrest like, drugs, poising and over – dosing on medications, traumatic injury such as a motor vehicle accidents of any kind or any significant amount of blood loss and also anaphylaxis (and allergic reaction to anything) can also lead to cardiac arrest. If any of these happen blood will stop circulating throughout the body. Breathing begins to decrease most of the time you stop breathing for several minutes. The purpose of CPR is to keep oxygen in the blood so it can continue to flow, throughout the body to keep the vital organs alive. CPR will not restart someone’s heart, it just keeps the blood flow circulating until official help arrives , once you come across someone that isn’t breathing you should first see if the scene is clear before you go to help the person( always remember DR ABC always make sure you are not in any DANGER check for a RESPONSE from the person you’re doing CPR on shake them gently . make sure the AIRWAY is clear by kneeling by the persons head and tilting there head backwards . check if the person is BREATHING by placing your ear above their mouth and looking at their chest for normal breathin...
Not only this, but anthropologists will also employ Ethnography, writing down a description and analysis, based upon the fieldwork. This helps keep a record of what was learned, while also keeping the culture being studied under its own viewpoint. These factors help impact the analysis of a culture, while still being observed under a cultural relativism outlook.
I worked as a medical scribe in an emergency department (ED) after my undergraduate education and one loss that I found particularly harrowing was that of a young teenager who had drowned while swimming in a lake. Her friends were unable to perform CPR and she went at least 20 minutes before being resuscitated by the paramedics. Despite the CPR provided by the paramedics, her pulse was thready and barely palpable upon her arrival at the ED. Further aggressive resuscitation by her physicians could not compensate for the time that she had gone without CPR and she passed away a few hours later. Losing any patient is difficult and so was losing her, however, I was particularly distressed because the simple knowledge of CPR could have dramatically changed her outcome.
Welsch, Robert L, and Kirk M Endicott. “Should Cultural Anthropology Model itself on the Natural Science.” Taking sides clashing views on controversial issues in cultural anthropology. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Also, how other cultures have had a phenomenal impact on how I view everyday situations and how I draw conclusions, whether it’s about an ethnic group, my own and others or about hot topics in the news. Before this class I did not realize cultural relativism. I really was ethnocentric because I never took the time to evaluate other people’s cultures independently of my own. While I think it is normal for people to judge their peers, coworkers, etc. based on their experiences I also feel it would be beneficial for all of us to take the time to try and understand the sociological point of view of others that are not familiar to us or view things very different from us. The tools I have learned in this class seems to have made me a better listener and emphasizer because I have caught myself listening to people just to hear them and not just to respond. The change in my outlook about being intertwined in society has improved my communication skills at work and at
Cultural anthropology has gave us a better understanding of world affairs and world problems, because it studies the way people think and do things differently. One of the
...de first aid to a person having an attack. Though there are risk factors that cannot be changed that are many things a person can do to improve their chances of preventing an attack and living through one. With such a high rate of heart attacks in the United States it is also extremely important to know how to provide first aid to a person who is having an attack.
In the medical field we have a variety of procedures that can be performed to help people and patients feel better or how to save a life. Some of the procedures that are performed can be done by professionally trained personnel, or by anyone. Two very important medical procedures that are very common are First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Both First Aid and CPR are used on a daily basis and are used worldwide, even if used in a slightly different manner the basic concept is still used almost everywhere.
When most people hear “First Aid” they think of the little white box with the red logo on it containing Band-Aids, gauze, tape, bug bite sticks, and antibiotic cream. However Webster’s Dictionary defines first aid as “the emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained”. That being said “First Aid” is not to be confused with “First Responder” whom is a trained paramedic who is able to administer CPR, medication, perform intubation, IV fluids, and a multitude of other medical tasks that any bystander or even a CPR certified civilian is unable to perform.