Considers how theories of writing grounded in cultural studies and ethnographic writing have explicitly taken up questions of writing students' relations to cultures and communities outside the academy. Considers disciplinary influences in ethnographic writing. Discusses the reenvisioning of the politics of postmodern ethnography. (SG)

Discusses how individuals and communities in the United States re-present themselves in the context of the terrorist attack of September 11 and its complex aftermath, exploring the "American" discourse on inclusion and discrimination by examining the neologisms and social practices that were amplified by the attack in local and national…

Contends that television, film, and other forms of narrative fiction have often been understood as direct competitors to the traditional beliefs and values of organized religion. Analyzes several cases in which stories of the afterlife, supernatural, and paranormal in the entertainment media become an important context through which teens…

Political and economic events in Africa have diverted the efforts of researchers from analysis along ethnic lines. Contends that the ethnic perspective is particularly valuable in understanding African affairs and that it should be revived. (DM)

Describes the treatment by several novelists and ethnographers of the rainwitch myth of southwest native culture, which concerns a woman who has magical powers to bring about rainfall. Discusses the influence of classical mythology on its development in modern times. (DM)

Findings of an examination of food problems of low-income single mothers indicated that the women and their children routinely consumed diets that satisfied neither their notions of good nutrition nor their personal food preferences. They consumed an amount of food considered sufficient for survival but contributed to their overall sense of…

Publishes and critiques the 1855 autobiography of Jesuit Father James Bouchard, born and raised a Delaware named Watomika. Contains information about Watomika's family, genealogy, and early years; his conversion to Christianity; and Delaware religious beliefs and practices. Examines the literary and ethnographic merits of the autobiography. (SV)

Used ethnographic methodologies in day care setting to explore potential impacts of changing roles and changing dependencies on women, children, and families. Findings suggest various supports for women and families that will enhance the environment of child care and facilitate interactive child development. (Author/NB)

Many different methods are termed qualitative research. A continuum of research methods avoids the need to classify research as either scientific or naturalistic. Each method may be assessed in terms of degree of constraints on possible outputs and degree of constraints on antecedent variables. (SK)

Results of a 10-year ethnographic study of Navajo youth show that racial and cultural differences intertwine with power relations and that Navajos' success or failure in school is part of the process of racial conflict. Subject to discrimination in workplaces and curricula, they are more academically successful when more secure in their…

Used observation and interviewing techniques adapted from ethnography in lifespan human development courses. Technique assisted students in becoming aware of previously "invisible" everyday activities and in assessing their own values. Students began to develop vital observation and interviewing skills. Technique facilitated integration of…

Misunderstandings of African-American infant attachments are likely if evaluative standards derived from infant caregiving in traditional white middle-class culture and an external point of view are employed. An exploratory study involving 37 African-American infants found that they had between 2 and 5 primary adult caregivers, as well as a larger…

Agrees with Jackson's assertion in the previous article that the development of attachment relationships in an African-American multiple-caregiver context should be analyzed and understood on its own terms to avoid an ethnocentric "Euro-American" perspective. Emphasizes the crucial contribution of overnight care in the development of…

Examines public speaking (PS) practices within the Osage Nation. Settings for formal occasions of PS and PS within the context of speech act, event, and situation are addressed. Methodological-biographical notes on Pratt as informant, ethnographer, and author and a discussion of learning and speaking among the Osage are appended. (Contains 49…

Ethnographic interviews help researchers avoid assumptions, collect descriptive data, and use language originating with respondents. The rich insights such interviews provide into attitudes, values, and behavior can be useful for survey design and measurement decisions. (SK)