Narrative, critical ethnography: Narrative, critical ethnography: some epistsome episteemological and mological and

methodological considerations methodological considerations from a research experiencefrom a research experience

György Mészáros, PhdELTE University of Budapest

Faculty of Education and Psychology

Educational ethnography Educational ethnography

a lot of different studiescultural perspectivelong term involvement researcher as the main research

instrumenttheory – empirical experience – theory –

empirical experience the tradition of cultural anthropologycolonial dimensions of cultural

anthropology

My research My research

„„Results” Results”

narrative text with auto-ethnographical characteristics which tells the story of the whole research experience from the literature review to the writing of the paper

a post-structural and critical narrative ethnography which is an open space for continuous reinterpretation

an experimental journey -> an experimental text

a radical counter-voice in the context of present-day Hungarian educational sciences

Results Results

Methodolgy

Epistemology

Ethics

How did the experimental nature of the study influence the whole research process?

Can a scientific research text reach its transformative goal (making the students’ voices be heard) when using esoteric language, difficult even for a scientific audience?

Is it possible to force two seemingly incompatible approaches (post-structuralism and critical pedagogy) to real dialogue in a study?

What kind of responsibility should the researcher assume for the participants after the empirical study?

How can ethnography overcome its colonial past and approach, how is that still present even in such a highly reflective study?

How should teachers’ voice be considered when the study would like to represent the students’ perspective?

Experimental journeyExperimental journey

„„Transformative science”Transformative science”

Incompatibility – dialog Incompatibility – dialog

ColonialismColonialism

Teachers’ voice Teachers’ voice

After ethnography After ethnography

Bibliography Bibliography

Walford, G. (2002, ed.): Debates and Developments in Ethnographic Methodology (Studies in Educational Ethnography, Volume 6). Elsevier, Oxford

Smith, P. M. (2003): Mapping the Whirled. Syncopations in the Life of a Woman Religious. Spectrum, Melbourn.

McLaren, P. (1986/1999): Schooling as a Ritual Performance. Towards a Political Economy of Educational Symbols and Gestures. Routledge, London.

Fine, M. (1998): Working the Hyphens: Reinventing Self and Other in Qualitative Research. In: Denzin, N. K. – Lincoln Y. S. (eds.): The Landscape of Qualitative Research. Theories and Issues. SAGE, Thousend Oaks, 130–155.

Denzin, N. K. – Lincoln, Y. S. (2005, eds.): The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. SAGE, London.

Crozier, G. (2005): Is ethnography just another form of surveillance? In: Troman, G. – Jeffrey, B.– Walford, G. (2005, eds.): Methodological issues and practices in Ethnography (Studies in Educational Ethnography, Volume 11). Elsevier, Oxford, 95-110.

Thank you for you Thank you for you attention! attention!

meszarosgyuri.d@gmail.com