What are the key principles of critical ethnography?

The key principles of critical ethnography include:

1. Reflexivity: Critical ethnography emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness by the researcher. It acknowledges that the researcher's background, biases, and positionality can influence the research process and findings. Reflexivity helps to uncover power dynamics and biases within the research.

2. Power and Social Justice: Critical ethnography aims to understand and challenge power structures and social inequalities. It focuses on marginalized groups and aims to give voice to those who are often silenced or oppressed. It seeks to uncover and challenge dominant narratives and ideologies that perpetuate inequality.

3. Collaboration and Participation: Critical ethnography emphasizes collaboration and active participation of the researched community. It seeks to involve community members in the research process, allowing them to shape the research questions, methods, and interpretations. This approach aims to empower the community and ensure their perspectives are accurately represented.

4. Contextualization: Critical ethnography emphasizes the importance of understanding the social, cultural, and historical context in which the research is conducted. It recognizes that individuals and communities are shaped by their social environment, and therefore, research findings should be interpreted within this broader context.

5. Emic Perspective: Critical ethnography values the emic perspective, which refers to the insider's viewpoint or the perspective of the researched community. It seeks to understand the meanings, values, and experiences of the community members from their own perspective, rather than imposing external interpretations.

6. Social Change: Critical ethnography aims to contribute to social change and transformation. It goes beyond mere description and seeks to challenge existing power structures, advocate for social justice, and promote positive social change. It often involves disseminating research findings to policymakers, activists, and the wider public to raise awareness and influence policy decisions.