Citation

Simonelli J. Anthropol. Humanism. 2007; 32(2): 156-170.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Society for Humanistic Anthropology and the American Anthropological Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1525/ahu.2007.32.2.156

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Applied anthropology strives to support accessible writing, especially in journals that publish the work of nonacademic anthropologists. In this, narrative must be concise and clear, as it reports on active projects that form the basis of research and practice. As such, the resulting texts can neither be jargon filled or excessively interpretive, especially when the production involves the participation of community collaborators. The challenges of writing applied and activist ethnography begin well before the research itself and continue throughout. We must seek informed permission for projects; carry out work in conjunction with the community; obtain preapproval for written products; and work to find a mode of expression that meets complex criteria: to be creative while also being concrete, to present theory to a general audience, and to share the ethnographic endeavor on all levels. This article addresses narrative and ethical dilemmas of applied practice and writing. Illustrations from a number of recent ethnographies supplement text and case studies from Chiapas, Mexico. An examination of the experience of collaborative research and writing that resulted in Duncan Earle and Jeanne Simonelli's book Uprising of Hope: Sharing the Zapatista Journey to Alternative Development (2005) illustrates the process of doing and writing ethnography for and with the community.