tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002030601514040278.post1127432584483155616..comments2013-08-17T17:50:10.068-05:00Comments on Sounds of Silence: An Ethnographer's Journey into the Deaf World: The "So What?"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14913852213448840483noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002030601514040278.post-3304499201913028122013-04-03T18:12:27.209-05:002013-04-03T18:12:27.209-05:00Thanks, Whit! Yeah I also grappled with the idea ...Thanks, Whit! Yeah I also grappled with the idea that this might be a micro/macro issue. I think your reasons for why more macro focused studies aren't asked these questions with the same frequency could be true.<br /><br />And as a side note, I think I am coming closer to identifying the larger social force/problem that I'm dealing with in my work. Spoiler alert: I think at a broad level my research addresses a question somewhere along the lines of: How does a community respond to threats against cultural reproduction when the threat comes from within the bodies of the community members? I think the answers to this question can speak to larger issues about cultural reproduction, technology and society, boundary work, the migration experience, and the intersection of biology/culture in fields like health. Still working. Stay tuned! <br /><br />I find these questions valuable for my development as a scholar, and beginning to think that perhaps my questions and/or my sample of peers were problematic. Maybe everyone faces these criticisms of their work?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14913852213448840483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002030601514040278.post-58851544177966871702013-04-03T17:54:32.442-05:002013-04-03T17:54:32.442-05:00It is definitely not just you, or just you culture...It is definitely not just you, or just you culture folks. My work on identity and identifications, which are typically studied at the micro-level, confronts this question all the time. But I think it is a really good question to have to grapple with. Why do these things matter? And why do they matter for everyone? <br /><br />I think most people who study the kind of go-to stratification topics (e.g., health, education, immigration) might not encounter this question as often because these issues are in-your-face macro-level social problems. We have legislation talking about health reform, education reform, immigration reform constantly. We know why they matter and why they matter now. I doubt, however, that they are never asked what their particular project means within their field of health, education, or immigration. <br /><br />I think I am finally approaching why my stuff on identity matters and my solution is actually linking it to a larger social problem (i.e., racism). Is it fair to do this? Well since we are sociologists who study patterns in the social world I think it is fair for us to have to have to articulate how our piece of the puzzle fits into the larger picture. <br /><br />PS: love the blog!! Whitneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00869562215954125270noreply@blogger.com