My Account of the Bolivian Revolution of 2019 and Facilitated Dialogue About Its Value As Autoethnography That Buffers Polarization
Start Date
10-2-2021 5:45 PM
End Date
10-2-2021 6:15 PM
Proposal Type
Presentation
Proposal Description
What is autoethnography and does it add value to peace and conflict resolution scholar- practitionership, potentially buffering what appears to be a spiraling global march toward extreme polarization? I read my first-hand account of the Bolivian Revolution of 2019. My account weaves my experience on the ground with Pruitt, Rubin and Kim (2003)’s theory of social conflict escalation and de-escalation within the context of a narrative about my experience of a near attack on my family’s apartment in Cochabamba, Bolivia by supporters of former President, Evo Morales in November of 2019. I articulate the elements of evocative and analytical autoethnography per Silverman (2017) and Hughes and Pennington (2017), with a focus on the latter’s concepts of legitimization and synthesis. Whatever your epistemological and methodological viewpoints, I invite you to tell the audience and me how and why my account of the Bolivian Revolution of 2019 is or is not autoethnographic and whether it is valuable for gleaning lessons for scholars or practitioners in the field of peace and conflict resolution studies that could help buffer polarization.
I submitted my account for publication to three journals. None accepted. Yet, the vast majority of the colleagues with whom I shared my draft responded quite positively. That got me wondering: should my personal knowledge and reflection upon that knowledge be deemed less suitable for publication than more traditional academic knowledge? Whom better to ask than the PCS audience? So I ask you, what are the definitions of and crucial dangers and opportunities for autoethnography in our field? Do the potential benefits outweigh the costs and risks? What do we gain by marginalizing autoethnography in our field? What would be gained if peace and conflict scholar-practitioners were to use Self as therapists and artists are empowered to? What methods are needed to promote autoethnographic validity and credibility?
My Account of the Bolivian Revolution of 2019 and Facilitated Dialogue About Its Value As Autoethnography That Buffers Polarization
What is autoethnography and does it add value to peace and conflict resolution scholar- practitionership, potentially buffering what appears to be a spiraling global march toward extreme polarization? I read my first-hand account of the Bolivian Revolution of 2019. My account weaves my experience on the ground with Pruitt, Rubin and Kim (2003)’s theory of social conflict escalation and de-escalation within the context of a narrative about my experience of a near attack on my family’s apartment in Cochabamba, Bolivia by supporters of former President, Evo Morales in November of 2019. I articulate the elements of evocative and analytical autoethnography per Silverman (2017) and Hughes and Pennington (2017), with a focus on the latter’s concepts of legitimization and synthesis. Whatever your epistemological and methodological viewpoints, I invite you to tell the audience and me how and why my account of the Bolivian Revolution of 2019 is or is not autoethnographic and whether it is valuable for gleaning lessons for scholars or practitioners in the field of peace and conflict resolution studies that could help buffer polarization.
I submitted my account for publication to three journals. None accepted. Yet, the vast majority of the colleagues with whom I shared my draft responded quite positively. That got me wondering: should my personal knowledge and reflection upon that knowledge be deemed less suitable for publication than more traditional academic knowledge? Whom better to ask than the PCS audience? So I ask you, what are the definitions of and crucial dangers and opportunities for autoethnography in our field? Do the potential benefits outweigh the costs and risks? What do we gain by marginalizing autoethnography in our field? What would be gained if peace and conflict scholar-practitioners were to use Self as therapists and artists are empowered to? What methods are needed to promote autoethnographic validity and credibility?