engleski

Life history: methodological contributions to the ethnographic research of the Croatian community contemporary identity in Sydney

Following the methodological revival and the interpretation of the 1960s, the ethnographic research, approaches and methods are increasingly present within different academic fields, including sociology. In the context of the growing conditions of postmodernism, the self-assessment of the self as part of the social fabric of individualism and identity becomes clear in seeking of progress and new knowledge. In these searches, sociologists use life stories and life history interviews more often to define relationships and interactions within a particular social group in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the social context. The life story provides an insight into the individual's view and testimony that takes place within the story of one's own life, while the research of life history implies a wider understanding of how patterns of different life stories can be associated with their wider historical, social and political contexts. Life history thus incorporates a number of methodological and ethical issues and possesses a significant emancipatory potential as it allows the voices of others to be heard. In other words, it enables insights into the events that shaped the lives of individuals as well as the meanings attribute to individuals by personal experiences. The ethnographic background adds new elements in contextualizing the life story/ history, taking into account the past, the present and the future, thus gaining more information about social reality. In this context, the issues of representation and writing policy become important. This leads to a wider and deeper understanding of the socio-cultural, economic and political circumstances which, in the case of our research, have influenced the creation of today's social identity, the community views and dynamics of change of the Croatian migrant group in the greater Sydney metropolitan area.

life history, ethnography, identity, Croatian community, Sydney

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