Ethnography to be

Abstract

In this essay, I overview Keyan Tomaselli’s contribution to the inaugural edition of The Ethnographic Edge; further some of his discussion of the sacred in terms of ethics; and make a call for ethnography “to be”. Ethnography “to be” prefaces hope; calls for ongoing contemplation about ideas of universalism-universality-universal; and critiques the dominance of the triumphal and utopian, for instance surrounding initiatives in peace and development in the humanities and ethnography. My influence for the critique and call for ethnography “to be” lies in influential works like that of Prashad, but also foundational readings such as Gregory Bateson and Susan Sontag. The work Ritual and Its Consequences: An Essay on the Limits of Sincerity by Adam B. Seligman, Robert P. Weller, Michael J. Puett, and Bennett Simon (2008), informs my conclusion/condensing.

Social Justice Through Sport and Exercise Studies: A Manifesto

“…Matthew Adamson's opening section on the unmitigated tragedy of disability renders this idea in regard to embodiment. "Mismeasures" (e.g., believing that sport will bring peace to divided peoples, that disability will be cured) give humans hope, so criticism/deflation of these ideologies (such as by the authors of this manifesto), might appear heartless (e.g., Fagen & Sydnor, 2012;Sydnor, 2018a). But we argue that in dismantling sport from its pseudo-sincere directions, sport is connected to multipart "real" philosophies of hope such as that forwarded by Martin Beck Matuštík:…”

“…Sport does not fuse together disparate values and beliefs, and it will not serve to eventually proceed along a continuum to make social justice. If scholars hold that sport uniquely has the capacity to forge peace and aid development (e.g., Collison et al, 2016; Collison et al, 2019; Collison et al, 2020; Giulianotti et al, 2019; Jarvie, 2021; Jarvie & Houston 2016; Svensson et al, 2020; Welty-Peachey et al, 2018; Welty-Peachey et al, 2020) then wide-ranging research to understand this specific function is necessary.…”

“…Sport does not fuse together disparate values and beliefs, and it will not serve to eventually proceed along a continuum to make social justice. If scholars hold that sport uniquely has the capacity to forge peace and aid development (e.g., Collison et al, 2016; Collison et al, 2019; Collison et al, 2020; Giulianotti et al, 2019; Jarvie, 2021; Jarvie & Houston 2016; Svensson et al, 2020; Welty-Peachey et al, 2018; Welty-Peachey et al, 2020) then wide-ranging research to understand this specific function is necessary. Accept that ritual, symbol, and repetition are good enough; that sincerity and authenticity as cultural constructions are not humanity's aim (e.g., Martin, 2007; Seligman et al, 2008). Consider that sport has an agonistic/competitive nature in modernity only because humans invented it to take such contest form.…”

Revetment Running and Econarratological Poetry

“…In my inquiry, the marginalized are no less than the most ominous Others of them all: the non-humans. And although we, perhaps, might never be able to become any form of Other, we 'can at least, stand next to one another, [and] perhaps converse or 'tickle'' (Sydnor, 2017, 30, using Seligman et al 2008.…”