Ethnographic Family Research: Predicaments and Possibilities of Doing Fieldwork on Intergenerational Relations in Singapore

• Published in: Journal of comparative family studies 2011-01, Vol.42 (6), p.903-918
• Main Author: Goransson, Kristina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropological analysis; Anthropology; Children; Cultural anthropology; Cultural studies; Economic Conditions; Ethnicity; Ethnographic research; Ethnography; Families; Families & family life; Family; Family relations; Family Research; Family studies; Field research; Field study; Field work; Fieldwork; Intergenerational relations; Kinship; Parents; Pragmatism; R&D; Research & development; Research methods; Singapore; Southeast Asian culture; Traditions
• ISSN: 0047-2328; 1929-9850
• DOI: 10.3138/jcfs.42.6.903

This paper addresses the use of ethnographic methods in the field known as family studies. While ethnographic methods are fundamental in the anthropological study of kinship and family, quantitative methods have long dominated family studies. To grasp the ideas and actions of human beings, however, we must pay attention to their intentions and recognize that intentions are not necessarily simply pragmatic reactions to economic or political conditions. One reward of ethnographic fieldwork is that the extended timeframe enables the researcher to gain insights into the construction of meaning in everyday life. Based on the author's experiences during long-term fieldwork on intergenerational expectations and obligations in Singapore, the paper demonstrates how the role of the researcher, as well as the accumulation of ethnographic data, is shaped and constructed in interaction with informants. While an anthropological approach contributes to an in-depth understanding of family practices on the ground, it requires a high degree of self-reflexivity with regard to fieldwork relations and the interpretation of data, since the ethnographer's social position, including age, gender, class, and ethnicity/nationality, inevitably shapes the access to informants. The paper sheds light on the different aspects of fieldwork and the process of ethnographic understanding. Cet article adresse l'emploie de méthodes ethnographiques dans le sujet connu comme "Etudes familiales." Bien que les méthodes ethnographiques soient essentielles à l'étude anthropologique de la parenté et de la famille, les méthodes quantitatives ont a présent largement dominé les études familiales. En revanche, afin de saisir les idées et actions des êtres humains, nous devons nous concentrer sur les intentions des individus et bien reconnaître que celles-ci ne sont pas nécessairement des réactions simples et pragmatiques aux conditions économiques et politiques. Un des avantages du terrain ethnographique est sa longue durée, qui permet au chercheur d'acquérir de la visibilité sur la construction du sens du quotidien. Basé sur le terrain de longue durée de l'auteur, concentré sur les attentes et obligations des relations intergénérationnelles au Singapour, cet article montre comment le rôle du chercheur, ainsi que l'accumulation de données ethnographiques, est formé et construit en interaction avec les informateurs. Alors que l'approche anthropologique contribue à une compréhension approfondie des pratiqu