On the road in Highlands Papua New Guinea

Intimacy and Ethnographic Method

Bibliographic Data

ID2403485
AuthorsNeil Maclean (The University of Sydney)
Year2012
Volume12
Issue5
Pages575-587
Publication date2012-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-7941 • E-ISSN: 1741-3109
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1468794112443475
OpenAlexW2038591133
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited21

Drawing on Schutz's treatment of the We-relationship and of meaning contexts, and on Michael Jackson's exploration of the ambiguities of the intersubjective, this article examines the methodological implications of the empathic orientation developed in the context of intimacy for a discipline based on participant observation. I argue that moments of 'breakdown', a classic way in which ethnographic questions are revealed, are predicated on the intentional dynamics of intersubjective relationships. I draw on a particular experience of 'breakdown' on an overnight truck trip in Highlands Papua New Guinea juxtaposed with expectations of intimacy developed over long-term fieldwork spanning 12 years

Archaeology · Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Ethnography · Ethnology · Intersubjectivity · Meaning (existential · New guinea · Participant observation · Social science · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Gender Studies · History · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Philosophy · Psychology · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics · Social Psychology

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