scholarly journals Social identities in the field: how fluctuating fieldworker identities shape our research

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kirkebæk Johansson Gosovic
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Anthropological Theory ◽  
Multiple Identity ◽  
Identity Processes ◽  
Interpretation Process ◽  
At Home

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to developing the understanding and practice of fieldwork in familiar settings by expanding the literature on fieldworker identities. Design/methodology/approach Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a multinational biopharmaceutical corporation, and drawing on anthropological theory of social identities, the paper demonstrates the multiple and fluid identities that we as organizational ethnographers purposefully take on, accidentally acquire, unintentionally are ascribed with and experience during ethnographic fieldwork in familiar settings. Findings Building on these insights, and by expanding the literature on researcher identities, the paper develops a critique of the spatial and temporal notions often attached to fieldwork in familiar settings by demonstrating how outsider identities are ascribed even “at home” and how insider identities can be experienced when away. It further reflects on the ways in which these identities shape the data generation and interpretation process. Originality/value This paper argues that to properly grasp the multiple identity processes involved in a fieldwork, we must escape the spatial and temporal conceptualization of being either an insider or an outsider. Instead, the paper argues for a relational and situational perspective on being an insider and an outsider in the field and proposes to conceptualize “insider” and “outsider” as ascribed, changing and sometimes volatile social identities.

Pandemic meaning making: messing toward motet

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Beth Schaefer ◽  
Sandra Schamroth Abrams ◽  
Molly Kurpis ◽  
Charlotte Abrams ◽  
Madeline Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Research ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Musical Form ◽  
Content Type ◽  
At Home

Purpose In this child–parent research study, three adolescents theorize their meaning-making experiences while engaged in exclusive online learning during a three-month stay-at-home mandate. The purpose of this study is to highlight youth-created understandings about their literacy practices during COVID-19 in order to expand possibilities for youth-generated theory. Design/methodology/approach This child–parent research builds upon a critical dialectical pluralist (CDP) methodology, which is a participatory research method that looks to privilege the child as a co-researcher at every stage of the inquiry. In this research study, the adolescents work together to explore what it means to create and learn alone and then with others via virtual platforms. Research team discussions initially were scaffolded by the parent–researchers, and the adolescents developed their analyses individually and together, and their words and insights situate the findings and conclusions. Findings The musical form of a motet provides a metaphor that three adolescents used to theorize their meaning-making experiences during the stay-at-home order. The adolescents determined that time, frustration, and space were overarching themes that captured the essence of working alone, and then together, in messy, orchestrated online ensembles. Originality/value In this youth-centric research paper, three adolescents create understandings of their meaning-making experiences during the stay-at-home order and work together to determine personal and pedagogical implications.

scholarly journals Trimming the social body

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Krause-Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Social Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
The Social ◽  
Management Concept

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse through ethnographic fieldwork the social and cultural context and (unintended) consequences of introducing a management concept from the private sector (LEAN) into the public sector. Design/methodology/approach Ethnographic fieldwork combined with reading of reports and material. Findings The major findings are: first, Lean is seen in a cultural context, it is argued that the persuasiveness of Lean depends on building a metaphorical connection between organizational aims and individual experiences and bodily ideals; second, Lean purports to be a win-win game and road to eliminating “waste” through worker participation, empowerment and enthusiasm. The research points to the contrary. Lean was met with scepticism and was seen by the social workers as a waste of time. Originality/value As demonstrated in the paper, the vast majority of research published about Lean is hortatory in nature. It is recipe books trying to convince readers of the benefits of introducing Lean. This paper, on the contrary, attempts an open ethnographic exploration of the Lean process and its social and cultural ramifications.

The narrative cleansing of Andrew Carnegie: entrepreneurial generativity as identity capital

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-220
Author(s):  
John H. Humphreys ◽  
Mario Joseph Hayek ◽  
Milorad M. Novicevic ◽  
Stephanie Haden ◽  
Jared Pickens
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Theoretic Model ◽  
Narrative Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Narrative Reconstruction

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to proffer a reconstructed theoretic model of entrepreneurial generatively that accounts for personal and social identities in the narrative construction of entrepreneurial identity.. Design/methodology/approach The authors followed general analytically structured history processes using the life of Andrew Carnegie to understand how generativity scripts aid in aligning personal and social identities in the formation of entrepreneurial identity. Findings The authors argue that Carnegie used entrepreneurial generativity as a form of redemptive identity capital during the narrative reconstruction of his entrepreneurial identity. Originality/value This paper extends Harvey et al.’s (2011) model of entrepreneurial philanthropy motivation by including forms of self-capital (psychological capital and self-identity capital) as part of the co-construction of entrepreneurial identity and proposing a reconstructed capital theoretic model of entrepreneurial generativity.

Cooking in prison – from crook to cook

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Kjaer Minke
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Meal Preparation ◽  
Maximum Security ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Maximum Security Prison ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the principle and practice of self-catering system in a Danish prison. Self-catering is a reflection of the Danish correctional principle of normalisation between prison and community life. Unlike some other jurisdiction, issues of control in meal preparation are subordinate to prisoners’ right to choose and prepare their own food. Design/methodology/approach – Findings are derived from 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork in a Danish maximum security prison for men, including in-depth interviews with 68 prisoners. Findings – Overall findings showed that thinking about meals and their preparation is time consuming for prisoners who tend to be positive about the system making connections with their ability to exercise responsibility for making healthily choices. The research concludes that prisoners’ possibility for developing cooking competences during incarceration could support prisoners change in social identity from crook to cook. Originality/value – Food is a fundamental need and the ability to choose what to eat and to prepare one's own food should be a right for all people, including prisoners. This research shows that Danish prisoners are very pleased about the system of self-catering. Most prisoners are concerned about preparing their own meals according to their taste and cultural diversity. If the prison offers the opportunity to train as a chef during imprisonment it could support the prisoner's change in social identity from crook to cook on the outside.

At-home ethnography: a native researcher’s fieldwork reflections

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azher Hameed Qamar
Keyword(s):  
Primary Objective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Fieldwork Experience ◽  
Rapport Building ◽  
Contextual Sensitivity ◽  
Native Context ◽  
Access To The Field ◽  
Building Rapport ◽  
At Home

PurposeIn last few decades, the native anthropology has been highlighted for its potential to immediately grasping cultural familiarity, contextual sensitivity, and rapport building. Nevertheless, detachment from the native context is also seen as a challenge for the native researcher. This paper aims to provide invaluable information about the fieldwork experience of the author as a native researcher in rural Punjab Pakistan. The author presents and reflects the fieldwork challenges faced and the strategies used to overcome the challenges. The primary objective of this paper is to discuss the methodological strategies to face the challenges of doing at-home ethnography.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in native context.FindingsDealing with contextual complexity and sensitivity with the author’s native learning, the author used native knowledge as a useful resource to investigate insider’s perspective on infant care belief practices. Furthermore, the author addressed the challenges related to building rapport, gaining friendly access to the families and children, and setting aside presumptions. The author discusses the strategies opted, such as selecting a research assistant, gaining access to the field, planning fieldwork and bracketing native presumptions.Practical implicationsThis paper provides important insight of at-home ethnography and technical understanding to conduct fieldwork in native contexts.Originality/valueBased on my ethnographic fieldwork, this article contributes in contemporary debates on the challenges in doing at-home ethnography.

Peacemaking at work and at home

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 801-820
Author(s):  
Xiaolei Zhang ◽  
Katalien Bollen ◽  
Martin Euwema
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Personnel Selection ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Interpersonal Conflict ◽  
Helping Behavior ◽  
Positive Relation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
At Home

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations between peacemaking at work and peacemaking at home. Peacemaking is defined as voluntarily helping behavior in interpersonal conflict, by a person who has no formal authority over the conflicting parties, acts impartial and works with either one or more parties to solve the conflict constructively (Zhang et al., 2018). Design/methodology/approach In total, 639 participants engaged in a survey to measure their peacemaking behavior at work and at home. First, the peacemaking scale is validated using factor analysis. To test the hypotheses regression analysis is conducted. Findings Results show that peacemaking at work and at home are positively-related. Further, compared to peacemaking at work, people tend to be more often engaged in peacemaking at home; are more focused on settling the issues, provide more emotional support and use more humor, however, are less multi-partial. Research limitations/implications Although based on self-reports, the results regarding the positive relation between peacemaking at work and at home may be enlightening in human resource management such as personnel selection. Originality/value The study provides the first theory-based instrument to measure peacemaking as informal helping behavior in interpersonal conflict, at work and at home. Five components are measured, namely, peacemaking in general, multi-partiality, settlement-oriented, emotion-oriented and humorous peacemaking behaviors.

Multi-species ethnography: methodological training in the field in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-363
Author(s):  
Harry Wels
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Research Methodologies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
And Training

PurposeTo further develop research methodologies for multi-species ethnographic fieldwork, based on researcher's experiences with multi-species fieldwork in private wildlife conservancies in South Africa and inspired by San tracking techniques.Design/methodology/approachReflections on methodological lessons learnt during multi-species ethnographic fieldwork in South Africa. The approach is rather “Maanenesque” in telling various types of tales of the field. These tales also implicitly show how all-encompassing ethnographic fieldwork and its accompanying reflexivity are; there is never time for leisure in ethnographic fieldwork.FindingsThat developing fieldwork methodologies in multi-species ethnographic research confronts researchers with the explicit need for and training in multi-sensory methods and interpretations, inspired by “the art of tracking” of the San.Originality/valueComes up with a concrete suggestion for a sequence of research methods for multi-species ethnography based on the trials and tribulations of a multi-species ethnographer's experiences in South Africa and inspired by San tracking techniques.

scholarly journals Gifts, reciprocity and ethically sound ethnographic research: a reflexive framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-79
Author(s):  
Anna Kirkebæk Johansson Gosovic
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Independent Research ◽  
Professional Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Anthropological Theory ◽  
Organizational Ethnography ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Relevant Field

Purpose Within organizational ethnography, getting access to relevant field sites often requires us to draw on personal and professional networks. Likewise, externally funded research is no longer a rarity. The question is what such financial and social ties mean for our research practices as organizational ethnographers and for our interactions with and descriptions of the field. The purpose of this paper is to address this question and to develop our understanding and practice of organizational ethnography by expanding the methodological literature on research ethics as well as our tools to evaluate research quality. Design/methodology/approach Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a multinational pharmaceutical corporation, and building on previous literature on ethics and quality in qualitative research, this paper introduces a reflexive framework for understanding our personal and financial entanglements in the field and the possible impact of such entanglements on our research findings and representation of informants and events. Findings Drawing on anthropological theory of reciprocity and gift-giving, the paper argues that social and financial entanglements with the field will urge the ethnographer to reciprocate; e.g. by thinking twice about unflattering representations and criticism of those with whom we are entangled. However, the paper further argues that such reflections are an important part of conducting ethically sound ethnographic research. Originality/value Rather than subscribing to an illusion of independent research, this paper demonstrates how we as organizational ethnographers get entangled with the fields that we study and what implications this might have for our practices and representations of these fields.

Using abstract concepts in impact-focussed organisational research

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Lugosi
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Business Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Change In Practice ◽  
Organisational Research ◽  
Context Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise and examine the processes through which abstract concepts, or abstractions, can be utilised in co-creating knowledge within “impact-focussed” organisational and business research, i.e. applied research that primarily seeks to promote change in practice rather than principally aiming to make theoretical contributions to academic debates. The paper uses the abstraction “hospitality” as an empirical example and discusses the techniques used to “operationalise” this concept, i.e. make it understandable for research participants enabling researchers to use it within data generation and the creation of practical insights in organisational enquiry. Design/methodology/approach The study employed two methods: first, participant-generated photos; and second, two interactive workshops with 38 practitioners where the abstract concept “hospitality” was used to generate practical organisational insights. Findings The paper distinguishes between four stages: the elaboration of abstraction, concretisation of abstraction, probing perspectives on abstraction and exploring experiences of abstraction. It is argued that utilising specific techniques within these four stages facilitates: recognisability: the extent to which organisational stakeholders understand the content and meanings of the abstraction; and relatability: the extent to which stakeholders appreciate how the abstract concepts are relevant to interpreting their own practices and experiences. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study, used to develop and refine elicitation techniques, rather than to draw definitive conclusions about the applicability of specific abstract concepts. Nevertheless, reflecting on the processes and techniques used in the utilisation of abstractions here can help to operationalise them in future impact-focussed research. Originality/value The paper conceptualises the processes through which abstract concepts can be made apprehendable for non-specialist, non-academic practitioners. In doing so, it discusses how various elicitation techniques support the utilisation of abstractions in generating insights that can support the development of constructive, context-specific practices in organisations and businesses.

“Stay at home” for addressing COVID-19 protocol: learning from the traditional Balinese house

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Dewa Gede Agung Diasana Putra
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Complete Protection ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Staying At Home ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Modern Technologies ◽  
At Home

PurposeCOVID-19 caused dramatic changes in daily life, including the way people stay in a building. Since the virus's outbreak and the mandate of social distancing from WHO, a house has become an essential place for people to avoid the propagation of the virus. However, recent house configurations cannot satisfy people's needs when staying at home and have not provided complete protection from viruses. Therefore, architects are expected to create new configurations. In order to establish a new trend, this paper aimed to explore the ability of the traditional architectural concepts that discuss the efforts to produce suitable configurations.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate to what extent the traditional Balinese concepts are still relevant to counter infectious diseases, architectural examinations and spatial stories were used as a method of investigations.FindingsThis paper found that certain traditional knowledge elements are still relevant to produce suitable configurations to deal with possible virus attacks and introduce more security layers to the house.Research limitations/implicationsLearning from the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper provides a view of traditional concepts that are now still applicable to modifications and adaptations.Practical implicationsIn these modifications, the traditional hierarchy of entering the house and the function of open spaces for food production are traditional elements that address the protocol to face the virus.Social implicationsLocal knowledge has given good things as a precious heritage from the Balinese communities' ancestors to face this new challenge.Originality/valueThis pandemic has taught architects to combine modern technologies with local wisdom as an approach to develop innovative antivirus designs.

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