Strong Reflexivity and Its Critics: Responses to Autoethnography in the German-Speaking Cultural and Social Sciences. (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ploder, Andrea; Stadlbauer, Johanna
• Other Names: Kuehner Angela guest-editor.; Ploder Andrea guest-editor.; Langer Phil C. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Qualitative inquiry. Volume 22:Number 9(2016)
• Page Start: 753
• Page End: 765
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: autoethnography -- cultural anthropology -- reflexivity -- sociology -- subjectivity; Social sciences -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 300.72
• DOI: 10.1177/1077800416658067
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-8004

Abstract

This contribution explores autoethnography as a strongly reflexive approach to qualitative research and its reception in German-speaking sociology and cultural anthropology. Over recent years, our academic communities have developed an increased interest in autoethnography, although many reactions range from critical to hostile: It is accused of solipsism, narcissism, lack of arguments and theory, affective immediacy, non-criticizability, endorsement of neoliberal politics, a threat to disciplinary identity, and a strategic mistake in the fight for appreciation of qualitative research. We discuss each point of criticism and translate our insights into more general considerations on strong reflexivity in German-speaking cultural and social sciences.