Ethnographic Family Research

Predicaments and Possibilities of Doing Fieldwork on Intergenerational Relations in Singapore

Bibliographic Data

ID2959934
AuthorsKristina Göransson (0000-0002-4908-7851, Lund University, corresponding author)
Year2011
Volume42
Issue6
Pages903-918
Publication date2011-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Comparative Family Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-2328 • E-ISSN: 1929-9850
PublisherUniversity of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3138/jcfs.42.6.903
OpenAlexW2162970236
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited35

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 longterm 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

Epistemology · Ethnic group · Ethnography · Field (mathematics) · Immigration · Interpretation (philosophy) · Kinship · Meaning (existential) · Nationality · Political science · Reflexivity · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Gender Studies · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics · Rural development and sustainability

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