Autoethnography Comes of Age

Hypnosis as performance autoethnography in qualitative sociological research

“…Their difficult gestation and turbulent subsequent life histories have led to frequent periods of internecine squabbling but ultimately to a position where, each from its own perspective could be seen as reflecting a common purpose – the educing of a personal narrative from and by the owner of that narrative. Despite its contentious beginnings and the continuing controversies and opprobrium surrounding its use, autoethnography, whether written/performed from an evocative or an analytical standpoint, has become an accepted and respected means of exploring and demonstrating personal and social issues (Short et al , 2013; Holman Jones et al , 2013; Sparkes, 2018).…”

“…Tolich (2010) draws attention to the need to manage with care the confidentiality of all parties cited in ethnological outpourings, and describes his ten essential ethical guidelines needed to protect oneself and others from disclosures that might cause future harm or distress. Personal, published information whether revealed during hypnosis or through conventional autoethnography becomes part of the public domain, and remains so for some time to come; and the future implications of such revelations cannot always be fully predicted, as Sparkes (2018) has recently highlighted.…”

“…Over the same period, but in the entirely different discipline of anthropology, new paradigms of ethnography and autoethnography were being developed. These became important, if at times equally contentious, modalities in qualitative sociological research (Sparkes, 2018). Like hypnosis, their establishment as validated and respected sociological research idioms has not been an easy process with these disciplines having many critics and detractors, as they became much removed from their original anthropological roots.…”

“…Although still struggling at times to find an authoritative voice and a general acceptance in academe (Sparkes, 2018), autoethnography has nevertheless come to constitute an essential part of the toolbox of sociological researchers and is widely utilised by critical theorists working in the political, gender, disability and other minority arenas. It is also being employed increasingly and powerfully in understanding and highlighting the interpersonal and organisational dynamics within higher education establishments, companies and social groups (Doloriert and Sambrook, 2012; Sambrook and Herrmann, 2018), as well as becoming a valid route to obtaining a Ph.D. (Doloriert and Sambrook, 2012).…”

“…The wide potential of autoethnographic writing allows for open and non-judgmental discussions about sensitive topics such as sexuality, menopausal taboos, abusive relationships and depression, emanating from within a wide range of environments including hospital wards, factories, shops, schools and colleges, as was demonstrated in a recent special issue of the Journal of Organizational Ethnography (Sambrook and Herrmann, 2018). As Doloriert and Sambrook (2012) have previously discussed, the biographical narratives obtained through autoethnography, whether they be predominantly analytical interpretations (Anderson, 2006; Ellis and Bochner, 2006; Chang, 2016) or a more emotional and evocative portrayals (Ellis, 1999; Turner, 2013; Bochner and Ellis, 2016; Sparkes, 2018), can provide valuable epistemological insight into personal or group experience and behaviour.…”