From Geography

Latest revision as of 08:58, 24 October 2012

Ethnographic inquiry and Humanistic Geography

Humanistic Geography (see also Humanistic approach)as incorporating a “diversity of philosophies, methods and substantive studies present in the geographical literature” (Cloke et al., 1999, p. 57) implicates that the development of one humanistic geography cannot be traced as such and that the development of the approach must be regarded as a difficult, ambiguous and contested process (ibid., p. 58). Re-theorizing humanistic geography is an ongoing process (ibid., pp. 83-85). Nowadays there is the ongoing debate about agency and structure which has very much profited from ideas of humanistic geography (Cloke et al., 1999, p. 85) and further development of more approaches to human geography has been encouraged (ibid., p. 91) – such as the incorporation of ethnographic inquiry.

In the „´interpretative anthopology´ of Clifford Geertz ” (ibid., p. 89) focus is given to meaning, meaning making and culture, which is supposed to be revealed by signs and symbols (ibid., pp. 89-90). Unlike the earlier geographical approaches to (re-) making lives by “particular people in particular places” (Cloke et al., 1999, p. 90) Geertz takes into account the relevance of “geography of intersubjective communications” (ibid., 1999, p. 90). This implicates to focus on how things are communicated in a certain spatio-temporal context by certain people (ibid.). Cloke et al. (ibid.) point to the similarities with Wittgensteins studies of “ordinary languages” and the relation to specific “forms of life” and to Mugerauers “call for a ´hermaneutical`approach concerning “words, dialects and languages” (ibid.). Geertz, as a key-figure of the ethnographic approach, is moreover known as promoting anthropologic methods of ethnographic inquiry in the field, which contains long lasting (participant) observations, interviews, understanding and representing people´s worlds faithfully to their understanding (ibid., p. 91). His appeals have been embraced thankfully by several geographers searching for reasonable qualitative methods, such as the Chicago school of urban sociology (Cloke et al., 1999, p. 91). Cloke et al (1999, p. 90) appreciate Geertz reflections as very useful, however, in order not to forget about the difficulties of the role of the researcher taken in ethnography, the impossibility of finding a truth and other “practicalities” (Cloke et al., 1999, p. 91). On the other hand the usefulness of interpretative anthropology becomes clear if following Geertz idea of finding different answers by different people about same questions (ibid., p. 92).

The very applicability of ethnographic inquiry for studies within human or humanistic geography is also obvious by considering the aspect of meaning-making (Holland et al, 2008, p. 95) – which is preferably approached in a decentered and dialogic way in both Humanistic geography and ethnographic inquiry. The anthropologic and ethnographic emphasis on culture as a process of dialogical meaning-making across different situations and place-relatedness (ibid., pp. 96-98) is highly important in relation to the notion of agency in different places – and thus humanistic geography.

References:

Cloke, P., Philo, C., Sadler, D. (1999). Approaching Human Geography. Paul Chapman: London, 57-92.

Holland, D., Fox, D., & Daro, V. (2008). Meaning-making in social movements. Social Movements and Collective Identity: A Decentered, Dialogic View. Anthropological Quarterly, 81(1), 17-58.

Janna Volpel 15-11-2011JannaVolpel 12:55, 8 May 2012 (CEST)