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Cristian Alarcón1, Philippe Bourgois

  • 1Licenciado en Comunicación Social. Director Académico del Programa "Narcotráfico, Ciudad y Violencia en América Latina", Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano.

Salud Colectiva
|July 22, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This dialogue explores ethnographic and journalistic research methods. Both Philippe Bourgois and Cristian Alarcón emphasize building affective relationships with subjects for qualitative research.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Sciences
  • Anthropology
  • Journalism

Background:

  • Discusses two groundbreaking books: Philippe Bourgois' "En busca de respeto" and Cristian Alarcón's "Si me querés, quereme transa."
  • These works delve into the lives of crack and cocaine dealers in Harlem and Buenos Aires, respectively.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the backstage processes of innovative and challenging ethnographic and journalistic research.
  • To highlight the transformation required for researchers to build trust and conduct qualitative studies in unfamiliar territories.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of ethnographic and journalistic fieldwork.
  • Focus on the development of affective relationships as a core research methodology.
  • Exploration of the researcher's personal transformation and adaptation to new social environments.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Both journalistic and ethnographic research necessitate a profound learning process, devoid of researcher arrogance.
  • Researchers must adapt to alien social customs and develop genuine connections with their subjects.
  • Affective bonds are presented as essential for enabling the type of qualitative investigation advocated.

Conclusions:

  • Qualitative research, whether ethnographic or journalistic, thrives on empathy and mutual understanding.
  • The researcher's ability to form authentic relationships is a prerequisite for deep, meaningful insights into marginalized communities.
  • This approach challenges traditional notions of detached scientific observation, advocating for engaged, relational fieldwork.