Re: [xmca] real fieldwork experiences of ethnographers

From: Wolff-Michael Roth (mroth@uvic.ca)
Date: Sat Apr 01 2006 - 17:55:02 PST


Hi Mike,
Harry Wolcott is an ethnographer who wrote about his dirty laundry--a
relationship to a "kid" who had constructed a shack on Wolcott's 20
acre property. There was a big huff about this, because of the sexual
relationship he had with his informant. He got away fine, lots of
mileage out of it, the kid came back and burned Wolcott's home and
went to prison for it.

I was critical, because Wolcott thought his actions were justified,
whereas I thought that his behavior was not ethical--thumping a kid
in the rear end, who wasn't mentally fit to make it into the army,
and then getting all upset that the kid eventually beat him up with a
2x4 and burned down the house.

Cheers,

Michael

On 1-Apr-06, at 5:03 PM, Mike Cole wrote:

Wow! Bingo! That was the book I recalled. Now lets see if there is dirty
laundry elsewhere that may
help with a little demystification project a friend is on.
mike

On 4/1/06, Ed Wall <ewall@umich.edu> wrote:
>
> Mike
>
> This is, I suspect, not quite what you are looking for: John van
> Maanen's "Tales of the Field: On Writing Ethnography." Hoever, they
> may be one or two chapters of use.
>
> Ed
>
>> All--
>>
>> Can anyone point me to publications on the real life, dirty laundry,
>> accounts of ethnographers about their field experiences. I
>> seem to recall the existence of such a book, but cannot for the
>> life of
> me
>> find it. Maybe just wishful thinking?
>> mike
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>
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