Narrative inquiry and autoethnography

Smith, B.

Abstract

This chapter concerns narrative inquiry as a methodological contingency for physical cultural studies (PCS). It focuses on one narrative approach, that is autoethnography, and highlights several challenges that go with doing an autoethnography. Autoethnography is an autobiographical genre of research that displays multiple layers of consciousness, connecting personal lived experiences to the cultural. According to Allen-Collinson, autoethnography is 'a relatively novel research methodology within the range of qualitative forms utilized in research on sport and physical culture'. Both autoethnography and PCS foreground the body-self of the researcher as unavoidably situated within research practice. PCS and autoethnographic research additionally share a political commitment as well as promote a critical and public pedagogy. The connection between PCS and autoethnography that, in turn, makes the latter a useful methodological option for physical culture researchers, is the focus on bodies. The chapter concludes with some future directions related to 'evidence' that physical cultural researchers might take up.

Citation

Smith, B. (2017). Narrative inquiry and autoethnography. In M. Silk, D. Andrews, & H. Thorpe (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Physical Cultural Studies (505-514). London: Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315745664-51

• Online Publication Date: Feb 9, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017
• Deposit Date: Sep 6, 2019
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Pages: 505-514
• Book Title: Routledge Handbook of Physical Cultural Studies
• Chapter Number: 50
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315745664-51
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1659974