Understanding the 'Natives' at a Big University: Anthropologist studies students

Savage Minds had a good critique of this work about a month back.

As to the ethical uproar, isn’t the idea of ‘informed consent’ in participant observation fairly problematic no matter what the setting? If you’re trying to get the ‘back self’, then you’re not going to do it by asking everyone you meet and chat with to sign an informed consent. You also shoot yourself in the foot a bit by reminding folks at every turn that you’re a researcher. I’m not advocating deception by any means - I always tell people I work with exactly who I am and what I’m doing. I’ll answer questions anytime I’m asked, but you can’t do good ethnography unless you get outside the role of researcher.

Thanks for the link to Savage Minds. I haven’t been online so often last month. It’s time to write a “summer round up” after the summer holiday. Much to read!

Regarding the ethics-issue: I agree with you - at least if she has anonymized the data about the students. Would be a different issue if she had done undercover-research for the CIA , of course.

That’s really true - the context of the research is important. I am working with kids right now, which of course brings up a lot of ethically touchy subjects.

I’m about to start reading a book called “Analytic Culture in the US Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study” written by Rob Johnston. I wonder how he addressed the challenges of ethngoraphy at the CIA. I’ll let you know!

I’m looking forward to your review. Just found out that the book was mentioned at Ideas Bazaar

I can understand why you would want to go undercover, but pretending you are a student is not needed. Either tell the students what you’re involved with or actually become a student.

I also would like to say that many college students do actually know the names of their instructors. As a freshman in college, I know the names of all my professors. Additionally, I do not know any other students who do not know their professors names.

Indonesia is a wonderful country with amazing people! I completely understand why people want to go places like Indonesia. I spent half a year over there in Papua (former Irian Jaya), and I enjoyed living there so much. Honestly, I would much rather go somewhere such as Indonesia than study college students. Indonesia gave me an unforgettable experience, and the people of it have a rich culture.

Don’t you think she might have learned something by studying her students?

For her as professor, it seems the college students represented a kind of “foreign culture”

“Don’t you think she might have learned something by studying her students?”

Lorenz–there is a gap between students and the person at the other side of the desk. Thats a complexe phenomenon which very much is kept up by both sides. I ve met only a few exceptions who were able (and willing) to bridge it.
I don’t think teaching and researching the same group of students at the same time works well.
But still–what ever research strategy is chosen: it shall not be conducted undercover.