Methods & Methodologies, Positions & Positionalities

Ethnographic conversations are my primary data. While ‘interview’ is a word more often utilised in these circumstances, ‘conversation’ better represents the reality of the interactions. If need be, ‘formal’ can be added (‘formal conversation’) to mark the artificiality of the conversations’ initiations. While I do begin the interactions and start with one of a few pre-prepared questions, I leave it to my conversational partner to dictate direction and length. Admittedly, I am in a position of power in terms of steering the conversation to begin with, note-taking, language, and, ultimately, choosing what to retain and what to omit when writing. My conversational partners are able to take a modicum of power, however, in deciding what they would like to talk about. The longer the conversation, the more power they have in controlling its direction.