Revision: Autoethnographic Reflections on Life and Work

Carolyn Ellis is the leading writer in the move toward personal, autobiographical writing as a strategy for academic research. In addition to her landmark books Final Negotiations and The Ethnographic I, she has authored numerous stories that demonstrate the emotional power and academic value of autoethnography. This volume collects a dozen of Ellis's stories-about the loss of her husband, brother and mother; of growing up in small town Virginia; about the work of the ethnographer; about emotionally charged life issues such as abortion, caregiving, and love. Atop these captivating stories, she adds the component of meta-autoethography-a layering of new interpretations, reflections, and vignettes to her older work. An important new work for qualitative researchers and a student-friendly text for courses.

* Introduction * Part One, Growing Up and Leaving Home * Part Two, Finding My Place in Community Ethnography * Part Three, Breaking through Conventions and Becoming an Autoethnographer * Part Four, Surviving and Communicating Family Loss * Part Five, Connecting with Others, Doing Research Ethically * Conclusion, Returning Home and Looking from Another Vantage Point