towards an ethnographic methodology in intercultural education some thesis for the debate gunther...

TOWARDS AN ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODOLOGY

IN INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION

SOME THESIS FOR THE DEBATE

Gunther DietzUniversidad de Granada

Structure of the paper summary:

1. Thesis for a Theoretical and Methodological Debate

2. Uses and Abuses of Ethnography in Educational Research

3. Towards a Reflexive and Holistic Ethnography

4. A Heuristic Model

5. An Ethnographic “Code of Conduct”

1. THESES FOR A THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL DEBATE

1. Multiculturalism in Education Multicultural Education

2. The Discourse on Intercultural Education as an Epi-Phenomenon of Multiculturalism

3. The “Politics of Identity” as a Pre-requisite of Intercultural Discourses

4. Intercultural Education as Pedagogization of Multiculturalism

1. THESES FOR A THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL DEBATE

5. Culture and Ethnicity as Axes of the Analysis of Interculturality

6. Structural Homology Between Ethnicity and Nationalism

7. Interculturality as Product and Producer of Ethnogenesis

8. Towards a Reflexive Ethnography in the Study of Interculturality

9. A Heuristic Model for the Ethnography of Interculturality in Education

2. USES AND ABUSES OF ETHNOGRAPHY IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

In social anthropology:

challenge of going beyond “experimental ethnography”

In education: challenges and risks of “school ethnography”:

instrumentalization of ethnography as auxiliary technique banalization of the ethnographic “culture” concept over-emphasis on applied and “evaluative” research reification of “empowerment” approaches

3. TOWARDS A REFLEXIVE AND HOLISTIC ETHNOGRAPHY

need for “double hermeneutics”: reflexivity of ethnographer reflexivity of objects / subjects of ethnographic research

need for integrating: explorative, holistic ethnographic field work “transfer of knowledge” towards the subjects

need for conceiving ethnography as intercultural dialogue: emic, actor-centred perspective etic, observer-centred perspective


need for focusing on institutional, structural, “national” frames:

a) Todd (1994), comparison of “metaphysical postulates” of integration:

asymmetrical kinship systems differentialist-segregationist tendency

symmetrical kinship systems universalist-assimilationist tendency


need for focusing on institutional, structural, “national” frames:

b) Verlot (1999), comparison of “basic intuitions” of institutional identities:

postulates: “egalitarian-civic” vs. “ethno-cultural” premisses

perspectives: self-perception as “majority” vs. as “minority”

orientations: “open” vs. “closed” attitudes towards ext. influences

4. A HEURISTIC MODEL

dimensions for a comparative research model:

a) the syntactical dimension: institutional structurations of the nation-state and

its pedagogics the institutionalization of the “public” vs. “private”

spheres the syntax of assimilation, segregation and

integration



b) the semantic dimension: the discursive models of intercultural education their translation into intra-institutional

discourses on diversity the educational actors and their often

ethnicized discourses



c) the pragmatic dimension: the (re-)production of monolingual and

monocultural habitus intercultural / transcultural competences educational modes of interaction

semantics pragmatics syntaxactor-centred interaction-centred

institution-centred

ethnicity culture (intra- / inter-culture)

territorialized units

= discourse = practice = structure

ethnographic interviews

participant observation “intercultural workshops”

= emic = etic = emic / etic (“epistemological

windows”)

5. AN ETHNOGRAPHIC “CODE OF CONDUCT” (Cf. Werner & Schoepfle 1987)

Standards of Epistemology and Theory: Separate always text (1) and text (2), the

ethnographer’s and the informant’s discourse. Analyze separately and contrast any contradictions

between text (1) and text (2) or within txt (1) and/or text (2).

Learn the culture you are working in focussing both on issues separating and uniting its members.

Maintain a methodological stance of cultural relativism.


Standards of Personal Equation:

Maintain an autobiography that you should periodically update and revise.

Expose yourself to the widest range of cultural variation available.


Standards of Research Design and Proposal: Consider the problem underlying an ethnography,

and make explicit the theory underlying the ethnographic problem.

Design (before starting the data collection) an efficient data management system for ethnographic texts and other documents.

Put in place (before starting the data collection) a plan to protect the privacy of all people whose statements enter your data base.

Formulate carefully an explanation of your project for the informants, in “their language”.


Standards of Field Relations: Make a serious effort to learn the language

of the people who are the topic of your ethnography.

Conduct your fieldwork and field relations in such a manner that other ethnographers / researchers will be able to follow and to do restudies.


Standards of Data Collection (Observation and Interviewing):

Do not alter or fabricate any data.

Determine the language of the interview with regard to the language which suits best the informant.


Standards of Analysis: Analyze data collected through different

methods first separately, before contrasting and comparing them.

Apply the same methods of analysis (based on the same theory) when comparing any pair of potentially discrepant text fragments.

Do not alter or fabricate any ethnographic data analysis.


Standards of Analysis: First describe, then interpret and explain. Always

separate description form interpretation. List all consultants and informants who contributed

to the ethnography (appropriately disguised, after considering their privacy and safety).

Use the same privileges of citation for your informants and consultants as you do with professional sources.

Consider your particular audience when choosing the best medium and the best method within that medium for presenting ethnographic data and conclusions.

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