Reflexivity

Reflexivity: Reflection on the self, the cultural context of the self, and the impact of both on research and analysis.

Participant observation: The immersive process of living with and studying a culture or community from within.

Ethnography: The method and result of the anthropological study of culture, providing both a detailed understanding of a particular culture and the process by which that culture was studied.

Culture shock: The disorientation and confusion experienced when encountering a different culture or environment.

Personal bias: The influence of personal values, education, and life experience on the interpretation of cultural phenomena.

Power dynamics: The unconscious and conscious effects of power relationships on research and analysis.

Theoretical paradigms: The conceptual lenses and frameworks used to understand culture and society.

Empathy: The ability to understand and appreciate the thoughts and feelings of others, even in the absence of shared cultural experience.

Discourse analysis: The study of language and communication as a social practice, exploring how language is used to construct meaning and reinforce social norms.

Critical thinking: The ability to analyze and evaluate information objectively and rationally, using evidence to support or refute claims.

Embodied reflexivity: This type of reflexivity involves the ethnographer reflecting on their own physical experiences and emotions while conducting research. This can include discussions of how their bodies react to certain situations, and how their physical state can influence their research.

Ethnographic reflexivity: This type of reflexivity involves the ethnographer reflecting on the ways in which they are connected to their fieldwork sites and the people they are studying. This can include discussions of the researcher's own cultural background, biases, and assumptions.

Textual reflexivity: This type of reflexivity involves the ethnographer reflecting on their own writing and how it represents the people and cultures they are studying. This can include discussions of the researcher's own voice, the tone of their writing, and how they use language to describe their subjects.

Positional reflexivity: This type of reflexivity involves the ethnographer reflecting on their own social position and how it influences their research. This can include discussions of how the researcher's gender, race, class, or other social positions affect their relationship with the people they are studying.

Dialogic reflexivity: This type of reflexivity involves the ethnographer reflecting on the relationship between the researcher and the people they are studying. This can include discussions of how the researcher's questions and interactions shape the responses of their subjects, or how their subjects challenge the researcher's assumptions.

Experiential reflexivity: This type of reflexivity involves the ethnographer reflecting on their own personal experiences and how they affect their research. This can include discussions of the researcher's emotional reactions to the people they are studying, or how their own personal experiences shape their understanding of their subjects.

Collaborative reflexivity: This type of reflexivity involves the ethnographer reflecting on the collaborative relationship between the researcher and the people they are studying. This can include discussions of how the researcher works with their subjects to co-create knowledge or how the researcher may take an active role in community development.