Automethodology: Tracing a Home for Praxis-Oriented Ethnography

Abstract

The authors trace the development of ethnographic practices according to the methodological assumptions of ethnographers within different historical periods. As communication scholars, the authors find Calvin O. Schrag's conceptualization of the self to be informative and advantageous for navigating an ethnographic sense of 'self' in the current status of the methodological contestation. Borrowing from Schrag's work, which focuses on communicative praxis in understanding the self, this article explores an innovative methodological framework called automethodology. By examining the deployment and emplotment of the self within the automethods of autobiography, autoethnography, narrative co-construction, community autoethnography, critical complete-member ethnography, reflexive ethnography, autoperformance, and layered account, the authors develop epistemological foundations for praxis-oriented ethnographers. Throughout this journey, the authors end up situating themselves in a place they consider home-in the practices of automethodology.

Now I see it, now I don’t: researcher’s position and reflexivity in qualitative research

“…Questions about reflexivity are part of a broader debate about ontological, epistemological and axiological components of the self, intersubjectivity and the colonization of knowledge. This debate has gained central stage as employment of communication research methods continues to evolve and the use of the self expands in a diverse plethora of research strategies across disciplines including autobiography, autoethnography, narrative co-construction, and reflexive ethnography (Pensoneau-Conway and Toyosaki, 2011; Wint, 2011). Consequently, researchers need to increasingly focus on self-knowledge and sensitivity; better understand the role of the self in the creation of knowledge; carefully self monitor the impact of their biases, beliefs, and personal experiences on their research; and maintain the balance between the personal and the universal.…”

Chapter 9 Autoethnography: Situating Personal Sporting Narratives in Socio-Cultural Contexts

“…Within the autophenomenographic genre too there is scope for a wide spectrum of representational styles, including evocative forms such as poetic representations and performative, audience-interactive presentations, already familiar to those of us working with autoethnography. Along with the use of collaborative and community autoethnographies, I envisage autophenomenography to be one of the key new directions for those employing 'automethodology' (Pensoneau-Conway & Toyosaki, 2011) within SPC.…”

Complete-member Ethnography

“…Based on the stated tenets, I suggest that CME's first potential for critical communication research is related to praxis and reflexivity. In extant literature pertinent to CME, Toyosaki (2012) proposes praxis-oriented autoethnography that emphasizes the role of praxis in performing critical selfhood (see also Pensoneau-Conway & Toyosaki, 2011). He asserts that praxisoriented autoethnography ''understands the autoethnographer self as the implicated and intersubjective self' ' (p. 250).…”

“…Among the historical developments and shifts of ethnographers’ positions out of and within the researched communities, the Chicago School of ethnography is considered the initial vigor that pushed toward CME formation. Historically, Adler and Adler (1987) suggest that ethnographers should assume the “complete-membership role” (p. 67) and become “native” (p. 67) with the researched community in order to actively participate in and understand local culture and its communicative acts (see also Adler & Adler, 1994; Pensoneau-Conway & Toyosaki, 2011). To echo Adler and Adler’s (1987, 1994) conviction, Ellis and Bochner (2000) adopt the term “complete-member researchers” to refer to those who “explore groups of which they already are members ” or have been converted to genuine membership during the research process (p. 740, emphasis added).…”

“…This autoethnographic article involved Hayano’s ethnographic inquiry that derives from his own life as a researcher and a professional (poker) card player. Notably, Hayano’s autoethnography is different from the present day appropriation; his autoethnography is “synonymous with CME” (Pensoneau-Conway & Toyosaki, 2011; Toyosaki, 2011, p. 64). In addition to anthropology, CME is also commonly adopted in fields of education and sociology (e.g., Alvesson, 2003; Hawe, 2002; Wagner, 1993).…”