Spirited Accidents: An Autoethnography of Possibility

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Christopher N. Poulos, Associate Professor & Department Head (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Kierkegaard says, "A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation …" This understanding of spirit-as-self-in-relation, leads, inevitably, to concerns for personal fulfillment, dialogue, community, and social justice in our world. To engage spirit in our ethnographic practice is to engage the self in relation —with the world, with others, with the very frames and possibilities of our being. The accidental ethnographer, open to the driving pulse of spirited searching, may stumble into openings never anticipated. Following these openings may lead to transcendent experiences that bring new relational possibilities into view.

Additional Information

Publication
Qualitative Inquiry, 16:1, 49-56.
Language: English
Date: 2010
Keywords
Accidental ethnography, Autoethnography, Improvisation, Spirit, Transcendence

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