EMOTIONAL AND ETHICAL QUAGMIRES IN RETURNING TO THE FIELD

When returning to the site of prior research, ethnographers may find t hemselves embroiled in emotional and ethical quandaries with the peopl e about whom they have written. This article details the conversations and emotional conflicts that erupted suddenly when I returned to a co mmunity about which I had published a previous ethnographic account. W riting the story gave me an opportunity to examine orthodox ethnograph ic research practices, such as omitting the autobiographical self and emotional responses from ethnographic texts. The return visit helped c larify connections between my personal life and the way I conducted fi eldwork in this community, and it led me to recommend that ethnographi c practices include an examination of how our experiences connect us w ith those we study rather than emphasize only how they set us apart.