ETHNOLOGICAL ENCOUNTERS WITH "MADNESS": EXPLORING ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The evolution of ethnological fieldwork methodologies reflects a dynamic interplay between shifting conceptual frameworks and practical engagements with diverse social contexts. Over time, ethnographers have navigated varying approaches to fieldwork, as evidenced by ethnographic accounts and anthropological literature. Initially, the emphasis on the ethnologist's terrain, a hallmark of the discipline, recedes as encounters with the "other" foreground the significance of difference, rationalizing the need for investigation. With the decolonization of colonies and the repatriation of ethnologists, attention pivots towards scrutinizing the nature of interactions forged between the ethnographer and the studied social agents, thereby elevating this relational aspect as a methodological focal point.

This methodological pivot prompts a reevaluation of the ethnologist's positionality and reflexivity in knowledge production, particularly as the social profiles of both ethnographers and their subjects increasingly mirror each other. As ethnographers often hail from urban milieus and are associated with various institutions such as enterprises, associations, and scientific laboratories, their encounters with similar social actors underscore the intricate reflexivity embedded within the discipline. Consequently, the construction of ethnographic knowledge becomes intricately intertwined with the ethnologist's self-awareness and critical reflection on their own socio-cultural situatedness.

This abstract delves into the historical trajectory of ethnological fieldwork methodologies, tracing shifts in emphasis from the terrain to relational dynamics between ethnographers and social agents. By interrogating the methodological singularity arising from post-colonial repatriation and the parallel social profiles shared by ethnographers and their subjects, it illuminates the reflexive dimensions shaping knowledge production in ethnology.