{"id":14841,"date":"2017-10-26T21:25:14","date_gmt":"2017-10-27T04:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=14841"},"modified":"2017-10-26T21:25:14","modified_gmt":"2017-10-27T04:25:14","slug":"produce-knowledge-by-producing-knowledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/produce-knowledge-by-producing-knowledge\/","title":{"rendered":"“Produce knowledge by producing knowledge”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Visual Ethnography is \u201ccapturing and expressing perceptions and social realities of people\u201d.[1]<\/a> When we gathered for this group photo on our last evening together in Cape Town, it captured the end \u2013 and beginning – of a journey which included new friendships (joy), challenging discussions (stress), rich learning (travel), fun adventures (adrenaline), and an educational goal (excitement and anxiety) of a DMin (financial strain).\u00a0 I would be remiss if I didn\u2019t mention that this photo also signifies a sweet reunion for Dave and Lisa and an early return to his room (which is why he\u2019s not in the photo).\u00a0 LGP8 cohort, I challenge you to identify your perception and social reality of this photo.<\/p>\n

Sarah Pink (author of Doing Visual Ethnography<\/em>) is passionate about doing<\/em> ethnography \u2013 but challenges researchers to \u201crethink\u201d their ethnographic methods and consider integrating sensory ethnography (\u201cnot instead of, but in addition to\u201d) as a reflective approach\u201d.[2]<\/a> \u00a0\u201cThe book succeeds in inspiring readers to explore the boundaries of classic approaches to ethnography and challenges the readers to include more sensory understandings of the human experience in their own research.\u00a0 The book addresses sensory ethnography as a methodology, and this is the book\u2019s strength\u201d.[3]<\/a>\u00a0 Literature and reviews on ethnography are refreshingly easy to locate.\u00a0 One of the best finds was a taped lecture of Pink with an accompanying PowerPoint.<\/p>\n

The innovative, emergent method of sensory ethnography can be defined as \u201cinterconnectedness\u201d of the senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch) which moves beyond typical research methods of watching, listening, and writing.[4]<\/a>\u00a0 Pink further defines sensory ethnography as an approach to doing ethnography that \u201ctakes into account of sensory experience, sensory perception, and sensory categories that we use when we talk about our experiences and our everyday life\u201d.[5]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 As a social worker who understands the value and importance of sensory awareness (or multisensory observation) and utilizes it in my work with clients, I\u2019m in agreement with its place in research.\u00a0 The challenge, however, is capturing (writing\/documenting) the human sensory experience.\u00a0 Even Pink acknowledges this method is still emerging and challenges researchers to \u201cdon\u2019t just report findings but document methods and write about it\u201d so that others can gain valuable tools to implement the approach.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

As I think about my future research on refugee resilience (post resettlement in the United States), the visual and sensory ethnography method feels like it could be a powerful research tool.\u00a0 Ideally, my research population will be Somalian refugee families living in Columbus, Ohio.\u00a0 My desire is to explore how refugee families define their own resilience factors as they adjust to life in the United States.\u00a0 I can envision using sensory ethnography by means of representational photography as a method for expression of family struggles and strengths \u2013 especially since there may be significant language barriers.\u00a0 My concern with this method is the vulnerability required by the target population and the cultural barriers.\u00a0 Valerie Smith from California State University researched and published on this very issue\u2026Ethical and Effective Research Methods:\u00a0 A Case Study with Afghan Refugees in California.\u00a0 <\/em>Smith\u2019s suggests that \u201cEthics review committees and others who seek to understand and ameliorate these difficulties should consider developing guidelines for ethical research in the vulnerable population of refugees in general and for specific groups who are marginalized in particular and often multiple ways.\u201d\u00a0 Smith did develop ten best practices for research with refugees but instructed researchers to first acquire greater understanding of the refugees, their community, and research methods appropriate for that culture.\u00a0 Specifically, Smith states the following are essential to understand:<\/p>\n

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  1. The historical conditions under which the refugees were forced to flee. <\/em><\/li>\n
  2. The social, cultural, political, religious, economic, and linguistic factors that comprise the unique backgrounds of the refugee group. <\/em><\/li>\n
  3. The group-defined markers of difference or division within the refugee community.<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. The group\u2019s deeply held cultural beliefs, values, and practices. <\/em><\/li>\n
  5. The ethnic community\u2019s stances toward the country of resettlement. <\/em><\/li>\n
  6. How to develop relationships with one or more outside advisors who have international experience and will help with the investigator\u2019s monitoring of selfcare and boundaries.<\/em><\/li>\n
  7. How to ensure confidentiality to interview participants, including using an unsigned information sheet in the place of an informed consent form when necessary. <\/em><\/li>\n
  8. The importance of gaining the trust and openness of a few reliable key cultural informants who can serve as cultural brokers, act as interpreters during interviews, and provide an insider\u2019s viewpoint during data analysis and the writing of the research findings. <\/em><\/li>\n
  9. The importance of making a conscious effort to include in the research, and account for, the needs of those refugees who experience additional multiple vulnerabilities. <\/em><\/li>\n
  10. The importance of using the results of the research to improve the lives of refugees in the community studied. [7]<\/strong><\/sup><\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I accept Smith\u2019s challenge to become a competent and educated researcher.\u00a0 Her legwork on research with refugees is inspiring and relevant and will be intentionally integrated into my preparation for my own research.\u00a0 Pink\u2019s detailed and practical guide on visual ethnography \u201chas made an impact for how we as ethnographers, learn and arrive at ways of knowing, imagining and understanding the experience of the other people whose lives we seek to know (about).\u201d[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

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    [1]<\/a> http:\/\/methods.sagepub.com\/reference\/sage-encyc-qualitative-research-methods\/n489.xml<\/p>\n

    [2]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pink, Sarah\u00a0(2010)\u00a0What is Sensory Ethnography.<\/em>\u00a0In: NCRM Research Methods Festival 2010, 5th – 8th July 2010, St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. (Unpublished)<\/p>\n

    [3]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Snyder, Susanna. “Book Review: Sarah Pink Doing Sensory Ethnography London: Sage 2009. 184 pp. $41.95. ISBN 13:978-1412948036.” Qualitative Health Research 21, no. 1 (2011): 144-145. Accessed October 26, 2017. doi:10.1177\/1049732310374063.<\/p>\n

    [4]<\/a> Pink, What is Sensory Ethnography.<\/em><\/p>\n

    [5]<\/a> Pink, What is Sensory Ethnography.<\/em><\/p>\n

    [6]<\/a> Pink, What is Sensory Ethnography.<\/em><\/p>\n

    [7]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Smith, Valerie J. “ETHICAL AND EFFECTIVE ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH METHODS: A CASE STUDY WITH AFGHAN REFUGEES IN CALIFORNIA.”\u00a0Journal Of Empirical Research On Human Research Ethics<\/em>\u00a04, no. 3 (September 2009): 59-72.\u00a0Academic Search Complete<\/em>, EBSCOhost<\/em>\u00a0(accessed October 26, 2017).<\/p>\n

    [8]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pink, Sarah. 2015. “Going Forward Through the World: Thinking Theoretically About First Person Perspective Digital Ethnography.”\u00a0Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science<\/em>\u00a049, no. 2: 239-252.\u00a0Academic Search Complete<\/em>, EBSCOhost<\/em>\u00a0(accessed October 26, 2017).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Visual Ethnography is \u201ccapturing and expressing perceptions and social realities of people\u201d.[1] When we gathered for this group photo on our last evening together in Cape Town, it captured the end \u2013 and beginning – of a journey which included new friendships (joy), challenging discussions (stress), rich learning (travel), fun adventures (adrenaline), and an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[279],"class_list":["post-14841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-pink","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14841"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14843,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14841\/revisions\/14843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}