GS2321: Report for Excerise in Participant Observation and Interviews

The following directions are posted on GUL (https://gul.gu.se/public/courseId/41279/lang-sv/publicShowMessage.do?id=476530):

Part 1. What is meant by ”insider’s perspective”?

Each student should read and reflect on four texts from the course literature: Clifford,
Geertz, Abu-Lughod and Wikan. Be prepared to discuss the following issues:

1. Give each one in the group the opportunity to argue, using the texts you have
read, for or against the idea that ethnographic fieldwork can capture the insiders
perspective.
2. Have a discussion about how you would define “insiders’ perspective”. (terms
and concepts that might be debated: partial truths, understanding – translating,
resonance, individual experience – collective representations, ethnographic
present, Western conceptions, social position – identity, halfie, meaning, practice,
norms)
3. Can you find any common traits in each different author’s arguments?
4. What seems to be the main issue they are arguing against (that is not necessarily
explicit in all articles)?

Part 2. Constructing an interview guide

Each student should prepare an interview guide for a semi-structured interview that is
supposed to last for about 45 minutes. Take as a point of departure that you are going to
interview one of your fellow students about their thoughts (and experiences, worries,
expectations, preparations etc) on climate change due to global warming. Imagine that the
interview is part of a research project that aims to grasp the ways young people
understand and try to influence their future in an uncertain world.