Autoethnography Defined : Autoethnography Defined Timothy Mark Robinson, Ph. D.
Southwestern University
What is Autoethnography? : What is Autoethnography? An analytical insider account
Concerning the self/writer as part of a group or culture
Often a description of a conflict of cultures
Often an analysis of being different or an outsider
Usually written to an audience not a part of the group
What is Autoethnography? : What is Autoethnography? An opportunity to explain differences from the inside
Always an attempt to explain one element of self to others
A thick description of a group with analysis
An autoethnography is not… : An autoethnography is not… A traditional personal narrative
A single event, incident, or experience
Written to the self as the major audience
A simple description or story
Focused solely on the writer
The Ancestor Defined : The Ancestor Defined By Timothy Mark Robinson
Learning Objectives: : Learning Objectives:
To define the ancestor in African American literature
To analyze representations of the ancestor in African American literature
The Ancestor Figure: Repository of Black Culture : The Ancestor Figure: Repository of Black Culture
Cultural Forms & Cultural Values
Christianity
Spirituals
Work songs
Blues
Jazz
Sermons
Black Vernacular English
Sites of Memory : Sites of Memory The ancestor recalls specific historical events
Sites of memory include:
a living person or apparition
a non-living entity
a place
a monument
an artifact
Supernatural Abilities : Supernatural Abilities The ancestor is associated with traditional West African beliefs systems
voodoo / hoodoo
griot
The ancestor possess special abilities
telepathy
empathy
prophecy
Physical & Spiritual Healer : Physical & Spiritual Healer The ancestor represents a “benevolent and instructive presence”
The ancestor is a guide for the protagonist and/or the next generation