Emic ethnographic encounters: Researching elderly female household heads’ experience with climate change in rural Zimbabwe

In this article, I discuss the experiences of conducting ethnographic research in my village of origin in Zimbabwe. The issues I discuss in this article are the methodological approach, the deconstruction of prior assumptions, challenges in meeting respondents, positionality and grappling with multi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethnography 2023-12, Vol.24 (4), p.461-473
Main Author: Gutsa, Ignatius
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate change
Emic and etic
Ethnography
Positionality
Reflexivity
Spontaneity
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Summary:In this article, I discuss the experiences of conducting ethnographic research in my village of origin in Zimbabwe. The issues I discuss in this article are the methodological approach, the deconstruction of prior assumptions, challenges in meeting respondents, positionality and grappling with multiple identities in the field, the unintended therapeutic effect of life histories, learning the art of patience in fieldwork, reciprocity, friendship and the challenge of spontaneity. This discussion is important in the debates on the challenges of conducting emic ethnographic research, reflexivity and positionality. The article therefore makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge focusing on the dynamics of carrying out ethnographic research in one’s cultural backyard.
ISSN:1466-1381
1741-2714
DOI:10.1177/14661381211030888