Dissertation Distress? (Re: Ethnography? )

[Kelley Walker]

At 01:05 PM 4/18/01 +0000, Carl Remick wrote:
>>From: Kelley Walker <kelley at interpactinc.com>
>>
>>Yoshie plunged into a shallow sea of platitudes, and with the powerful 
>>breast stroke of a channel swimmer, made her confident way towards the 
>>white cliffs of Obstinée Folie"
>>
>>>  ethnography which involves "observation of culture in situ" for a 
>>> prolonged period of time
>>
>>you should stick to jane eyre or something. you are wrong. i have taught 
>>a couple of courses on methods, qualitative methods in particular. i am 
>>an ethnographer. i think i know what i'm talking about.  the way to 
>>distinguish between marketing research and social science is to be found 
>>in an understanding of the difference between method and methodology. in 
>>the future, please refrain from this sort of rubbish. you are a 
>>intelligent woman who need not stoop to this sort of thing.
>
>Impressive.  You're well on your way to a flourishing academic career, KW.
>You've got the requisite turf-guard capability developed to a high degree.
>
>Carl

do you honestly think i should sit quietly by as yoshie tells everyone what 
sociology is? or how sociologists use the term ethnography?  i don't tell 
her how to practice her discipline.

criticism is fine, great. i welcome it. but the fact is, the crits are not 
new to me and they aren't new to most of us. so, having to listen to 
someone go on and on about the weaknesses of sociology is just a little 
galling.  that's what i spent 2 days straight in an empty room with a 
pencil, paper and a screen and blank floppy: so i could write my comps and 
characterize the critiques/the debates and take a stand on them for myself.

i quoted for yoshie the leading text in our field, written by someone who 
knows his stuff.  there are five volumes in the series on qualitative 
methods alone.   if yoshie thinks she knows better, then she really ought 
to marshall a lot more evidence than what is yielded by typing "what is 
ethnography" at google.

thanks for playing.