Problems with an ethnographic perspective Three key problems, which can be linked to an ethnographic perspective, are reactivity, subjectivity and researcher bias. This is because ethnography is based on constructionism, which envisages society as not an object-like reality waiting to be discovered by a researcher but as being socially constructed in the process of individuals making sense of their world (Xxxxx, 2004). The first problem, ‘reactivity’, is defined as, ‘the effects of audience, and indeed of context generally, on what people say and do’ (Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx, 2007, p. 102). Xxxxxxxxx and Xxxx point out that the effect of the researcher on the data is unavoidable: As a fieldworker, you never belong ‘naturally’ or ‘normally’ to the field you investigate, you are always a foreign body which causes ripples on the surface of smooth routinised processes. There is always an observer’s effect and it is essential to realise that: you are never observing an event as if you were not there (Xxxxxxxxx and Xxxx, 2010, p. 27). I think I minimised this effect to some extent by not bringing video cameras or audio-equipment to the classrooms (Blommaert and Dong, 2010) which was in contrast to Xxxxxx et al.’s (2007) observations in eight complementary schools. However, for part of the class at one Hoshūkō (field notes, 06.03.2011) I did affect the situation due to my lack of Japanese proficiency. In order to help me understand what was happening in the classroom, the teacher had asked students to translate their presentations for me into English whereas normally the use of English in the classroom was not encouraged. I felt awkward, as had Xxxxxx (in Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx, 2010) when observing classes in Gujarati a language in which he was not proficient, that the teacher interrupted the lesson so that I could understand. Had I been a fluent Japanese speaker, this scenario would not have happened65. Another problem linked to ‘reactivity’ is the perceptions of the young people and teachers about the researcher. In one class I observed one student asked me whether I was from the FBI and another thought I was there to check her Japanese ability. The teacher introduces me to the class in Japanese, which seems to cause a commotion. She asks if they have any questions. One boy asks if I am spying on them from the FBI. Another girl is worried that I am going to check her Japanese ability. She asks the teacher to use ‘easy words’ so that she can do well. I introduce myself in English. They seem ...
