Page "Autoethnography" Paragraph 16

According to Bochner and Ellis ( 2006 ), an autoethnographer is “ first and foremost a communicator and a storyteller .” In other words, autoethnography “ depicts people struggling to overcome adversity ” and shows “ people in the process of figuring out what to do, how to live, and the meaning of their struggles ” ( p. 111 ).

Therefore, according to them, autoethnography is “ ethical practice ” and “ gifts ” that has a caregiving function ( p. 111 ).

In essence autoethnography is a story that re-enacts an experience by which people find meaning and through that meaning are able to be okay with that experience.

A prime example of autoethnography occurs when a family member or someone close to the family dies.

In this painful experience people often wonder how they will go about living without this person and what it will be like.

In this scenario, especially in religious homes, one often asks “ Why God ?” thinking that with an answer as to why the person died they can go about living.

Others, wanting to be able to offer up an explanation to make the person feel better, generally say things such as “ At least they are in a better place .” or “ God wanted him / her home .”.

People, who are never really left with an explanation as to why, generally fall back on the reason that “ it was their time to go ” and through this somewhat “ explanation ” find themselves able to move on and keep living life.

Over time when looking back at the experience of someone close to you dying, one may find that through this hardship they became a stronger more independent person, or that they grew closer to other family members.

With these realizations, the person has actually made sense of and has become fine with the tragic experience that occurred.

And through this autoethnography is performed.