Uphill on an icy slope

Uh-oh. An IRB is not going to be easy and will certainly slow us down. I'll be meeting with my department chair at the end of the week so I will run things by him and let you know. Regardless, let's keep moving ahead with our plans in case we get the 'go ahead' without an IRB. I'll meet with my comp ESL students on the 1st and the lower proficiency students on the 3rd. Once I have class, I'll have a good indication of who my participants will be on this end.

Ending with a Bang!

I really enjoyed the last four articles of Ethnography class. Each had such poignant points and not only answered some of my questions, but left me, as I’ve learned all good ethnographic research should, with some more!

Zubair’s research in Pakistan, Literacies, Gender and Power in Rural Pakistan, was fascinating. The examination of gender and power within literacy practices was really enlightening. At first I questioned her theoretical framework, using Street’s literacy as social practices and resources rather than a set of rules (Street, 1984). I thought with such a traditional society, her framework was off target but as I read through the data, I realized just the opposite. Examining literacy through a broader lens, exposes the pitfalls and inequities. I wonder what came first: data collection or theoretical framework? Her conclusion was so frank, brave and powerful: Regarding literacy “younger women act as agents of change whereas men being content with existing roles fear change. Hence they fear the consequence of secular literacy and control women’s access to wider education” (P.200). Wow! I hope I have the courage to sum up my data so succinctly and honestly!

Ethnography: Problems and Prospects, Hammersley (2006), lacked the “wow” factor but nevertheless, was honestly enlightening about challenges of ethnographic research: the issues of interviews verses participant observations was a key point. Clearly, the concern of an interviewer making “questionable inferences about what is said by the interviewee” (p.9) is a legitimate one. Doesn’t ethnography carry much inference by the researcher? Isn’t that one of the aspects that separates it from quantitative research- though we don’t intend to be subjective, can we really remove our “selves” from the observation? Another challenge discussed in the article is the political nature of ethnography cannot be overlooked. Through our readings and class discussions, we’ve all seen the ramifications of this in our miniscule context of our IUP classroom…..grin…. I can only imagine the much larger framework that these types of studies must impact!

I’m sorry Ethnography class is ending so soon! I’ll miss you all!

One foot stuck in a SPACE

At the end of week four, I feel that I have a framework to guide me through the course readings. I'm beginning to make connections and gain a deeper understanding of the elements of ethnographic research and the theories that underline it.

The Illustrative Literary Events regarding the Spaces in Academic Socialization (Seloni, 2008) seems so applicable and personally relevant as a teacher and a student.

The Initial Contact - conversations about academics/clarifications, student orientation, seeking more information
Typical Academic spaces- writing centers, class dialogues, lectures, on going conversations
Academic Culture Collaboration- support group, side conversations, presentations

Gratefully, I have a superb cohort here at IUP and an excellent smaller collaborative group has evolved from my cohort which glimmers of Academic Culture Collaboration (ACC). Probably, as a second year doctoral student, I should be fully at ACC, but through reflection, I see myself still emerging in Academic Culture Collaboration, which seems to me to be the ideal space. However, part of me clings to the Typical Academic Space (TAS). The transition over to the ACC isn't complete because I still have one foot grounded in the TAS, I'm sure, in what I feels I still need as a structured context with familiar support and familiar expectations. Making connections between theory and practice through peer interactions to gain deeper understanding, further clarification, and new insight is the epitome of academic collaboration. My growth as a scholar, from what I've gleaned from the literature will only benefit when I'm completely immersed in the Academic Culture Collaboration; so I'm really trying hard to get my foot unstuck!

Good Signs / Bad Signs

Well, once again I find myself more interested in the methodology of the articles we are reading than the actual content... this is either a really good sign or a really bad sign.

In the Castanheira & Green, "Reformulating Identities" article, the methodology of the ethnography in the fifth grade classroom was intriguing. The footnote indicated that the actual research started a year prior to the observation, the researcher forged a relationship with the teacher and negotiated issues that would become central to the research. This pre-research seemed vital in shaping the approach to observation period.
I also found interesting the impetus for this ethnographic research: the researcher's son, a Portuguese-speaking fifth grader, had successfully learned to read, write and speak in English and Spanish within an academic year of this classroom. Furthermore, the tools used such as the discourse maps seemed daunting to interpret, but in fact, after a few seconds they became meaningful and helped support the interpretation of the data.

In the "Interactional Ethnography'......" Castanheira & Green article, I also found interesting the fact that the researchers didn't have enough and (the type of data) to pursue a macroethnographic approach to examining literacy practices and instead focused on an emic approach. I wonder if they first examined the data collected and then decided on the approach- or was it the other way around? Does the type of data drive the type of questions and type of approach in ethnography? I guess it would if one is working from preexisting data. This leaves me with the question of intent? The researchers mentioned in the article that they were unable to take a macro perspective- this suggests that they had wanted to but didn't. Are researchers compromising the types of questions they are asking or molding to fit data in existence? ...ummm.... as usual, I find myself with more questions than answers.

I can't believe I am saying this, but I'm really enjoying all of this... which is a really good sign, right?

Reading between the lines in Ways with Words

In my reflection today, I am interested in discussing the ethnographic methods Brice- Heath uses rather than the observation she makes. I'm not sure, but I think the purpose of reading this book lies more in experiencing a complete ethnographic study than discussing the actual findings of her research. At least for this novice ethnographer, an approach of examining her methods is more valuable than examining her findings..... I hope that statement doesn't get me in hot water. Therefore, a few observations I'd like to mention:

The dialogues are terrific to really understanding the dynamics of a discourse. Paraphrasing the conversations would not have nearly been as effective as the painstaking word for word recreation. I took this lesson and applied it to my own ethnographic observation required for class. It's really tough to do, but I can see that what I wrote down verbatim was really different than what I had remembered and paraphrased later.

Also, I'm going to draw attention to the juxtaposition of the "Teaching How to Talk" in Trackton & Roadville. At first, I thought the back and forth was going to be distracting and was merely a rhetorical strategy to keep readers engaged with both parties. However, I see now that it is essential in understanding the differences Brice Heath was observing. The observations become more powerful since we have an immediate reference for comparison.

Furthermore, the tools utilized to get authentic data was essential. In fact, I was curious to learn how Brice Heath was getting so much detailed information. For my ethnographic class observation task, I had used a video camera and could replay sections of the observation numerous times to really hear and understand interactions. In Ways with Words, for example, the conversation Aunt Sue had with Baby Bobby about "yo widdle tum-tum being empty" was lengthy and detailed- Brice heath mentioned a tape recorded later. I realized that to get specific irrefutable data, some type of recording device is really essential. Our perceptions are so different from our observations. I only saw after I watched my observation a few times, what I had misperceived." It's a real lesson to me as an observer.

Going Gray

Is there such a thing as a Personal Mini Paradigm Shift (PMPS)? If so, I think I have begun to undergo one. Before I took this class, I ascribed ethnographic research as a socially euphemistic term for anthropological research.... probably the traditionalist inside of me trying once again to put the reigns on the Post Structionalist view in it's attempt to deconstruct my reality of, albeit insular, black and white., objective/subjective, opinion/fact....etc. I'm not a gray gal and eschew challenges to sometimes, too well-established views. However, through our class discussions, literature reviews, and shared experiences, I'm beginning to realize value in more than an empirical observation. Can one's personal culture be a guiding influence in observation that should be objective? Merely 7 days ago I would have said, "No!" Now, I'm beginning to warm up to the idea that it is okay to allow our 'self ' to shape our perceptions and observations, which may in fact, lead to a deeper evaluation, rather than what I formally saw as a biased or flawed. Am I'm beginning to see shades of grays in my blacks and whites?

Tools & Rules

I found On Ethnography (heath & Street 2008) extremely salient. The key points bring forward the essence of an ethnographer's goals and responsibilities. The highlights that were valuable included: Constant Comparative Perspective which requires vigilance to co-occurrence (what happens as something else happens), describing what occurs rather than what doesn’t occur (avoids value judgment) and the importance of an etic perspective

Also, understanding that ethnographic research is a recursive process. Questions scaffold original hunches and build an intellectual framework involves revisiting Theory and concepts from literature and data from observations. Furthermore, Decision Rules were so grounded and couch the guidelines so well:
o Who or what is the phenomenon of central focus
o Who am I with respect to these individuals
o What will the time and space of data collecting be
o What makes me curious about what is happening
o What will I consistently be able to tell others about who I am and what I will be doing here?
o How will I protect the identity and interests of those whose lives I will examine?

Already, these guiding questions have helped me to better form the idea and purpose of my ethnographic research.

Rural Pennsylvania & My Teaching Context

Mansfield, PA is about 200 miles north east of Indiana, located in a county that has 40% of its roads unpaved..... need I say more? Though, it certainly beats the ubiquitous construction found here, downstate.

Mansfield University has an enrollment of about 5000 students. 94% Caucasian, 5% minority, 1% non-native speaking. I teach ESL Composition and ESL Advanced Grammar. The ESL population is diverse, encompassing about 10 different languages.

This past year, a controversy ensued regarding students from Liberia, who were assumed to be American because of their perfect fluency and lack of accent in English (English is Liberia's official language because Liberia was originally established as a free slave state in 1820 ). However, the students are extremely low performing in written language. They were all failing at least one class. A few professors were frustrated with what they perceived as the student's low achievements, low motivation, low skills. In fact, some even expressed stereotypes of low performing American minorities. It wasn't obvious that the students' low skills are a reflection of the lack of focus on literacy in Liberia; books aren't read as children, stories are shared and passed down. Furthermore, Liberia has the second lowest literacy rate in Africa yet citizens are fluent in the spoken language.

My thoughts are revolving around this situation as a possible focus for my ethnographic research.

Reflecting on On Ethnography

The metaphor of learning to juggle as the process undertaken by ethnographers in their fieldwork was a great introduction for me and helped clarify the methodology of ethnography- in fact, now it seems less intimidating than clown work to me. I'm more likely to jump on a plane, fly to an exotic country and submerge myself in a foreign culture than to pick up three red balls and keep them all aloft....grin. Furthermore, I found meaningful Heath and Street's reflections regarding an ethnographer's job, "Sorting out the many connections of language and culture as possible across reoccurring and definable situations" (11).

Additionally, they highlight three situations that are relevant to those connections: individuals setting their own goals toward expertise, groups building their identities, and formal education intuitions transmitting prescribed values, skills, and bodies of information. Ironically, as a future ethnographer, it seems that I would experience the first two aspects through my own observations, as on cannot not be influenced through her actions. This is the most meaningful aspect of ethnography that I have gleaned from the past two days of discussions and readings. As an ethnographer, I should be expected to be influenced by my observations. Surprising and provocative. I'm looking forward to learning more about this.

first thoughts

I enrolled in this class to broaden my traditional view of ethnography.
I am at nature a traditionalist and understand ethnography as a means
of observing aspects of a culture to gain deeper insights. Ironically,
hopefully my insights will be the ones that will deepened through this course.