Similarity and Difference: The Ethnographer, the Subject, and Objectivity

Abstract

This paper is based on the experiences of two criminological researchers and their reflections of undertaking ethnographic study. We first set out and briefly discuss our methodological standpoint. Then, by examining the differences in our backgrounds and biographies, we begin reflecting on how these influences have impacted upon our motivations for studying and our choice of research areas. We then consider how our biographies have also influenced the fieldwork conducted. We argue that by viewing the researcher as a ‘subjective subject’ – and therefore an integral part of the research process (together with drawing upon the analytic realist concept of ‘reflexive accounting’ (Altheide and Johnson, 1994)) – it is possible to create a more accurate representation of ethnographic research findings. Furthermore, we argue that similar reflexivity might be employed by other researchers, as this process may in itself yield a rich source of valid data.