Navigating Ruling Relations in Institutional Ethnographic Fieldwork

Reflections on the Ontological Shift and Activists’ Work

Authors

  • Hye-Su Kuk University of Toronto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56105/cjsae.v36i01.5767

Keywords:

Institutional Ethnography, Citizenship Education, Ontological Shift, Ruling Relations of Research

Abstract

Based on year-long fieldwork on activist-educators’ work in South Korea, I reflect on how my research complicates the ontological shift in institutional ethnography: that is, the shift that emphasizes how ruling relations are coordinated through the very actions of people. I discuss two facets of reflective pauses. First, I discuss how the ruling relations of research practice in South Korea render the ontological shift “slippery.” I argue for a need to understand the ontological shift in relation to external contexts of research instead of an individualized approach. Second, I detail the process of a comparative research design looking at activist-educators with differing levels of engagement with the Korean state. I highlight how a transitional void that emerged after democratization prompted different activist strategies. I call for a need to reconsider the connection between activists’ work and institutional ethnography, where investigating activists’ work provides a lens into the ruling relations.

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Published

2024-06-18

How to Cite

Kuk, H.-S. (2024). Navigating Ruling Relations in Institutional Ethnographic Fieldwork: Reflections on the Ontological Shift and Activists’ Work. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 36(01). https://doi.org/10.56105/cjsae.v36i01.5767

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 01 (2024): For the People: Dorothy Smith and Adult Education

Section

Articles

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