11.9: Discussion

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1. Perhaps the most complex problem facing ethnographic writers
is the problem of representing your research participants
ethically. How have the theoretical and anecdotal evidence in
this chapter helped you think about how to do that?

2. As I was drafting and revising this essay, I asked several classes
to read it. There was strong disagreement among my students
over which sections they found most convincing: the more
traditionally academic, or the more narrative/anecdotal. How
would you answer that question, and why?

3. Based on any fieldwork you’ve already done (if you’ve begun),
or you can imagine doing, what specific strategies can you suggest
for avoiding imperial and/or colonial critiques of your own
research?

4. What lessons that you’re learning about ethnographic research
can you imagine applying to other kinds of research and writing
that you do as college students, or beyond?