Doubts and Intrigues in Ethnographic Research

Abstract

This article acknowledges some moments of intrigue aroused during the execution of an ethnographic investigation at a high school, in Oporto, Portugal with young boys and girls. The making of this investigation aroused our reflection towards what we consider to be some intrigues and towards the Social and Human Sciences themselves, epistemologically and methodologically speaking. How do we place ourselves in an investigation? How can we define our own intentions in the bosom of the familiar-strangeness relationship as far as the context is concerned? How can we analytically and ontologically deal with intrusion? When are we given permission by the reality we want to know? How shall we define the fidelities and infidelities in our interpretations and questionings? How do we define ourselves and define the others in the moments of mutual expiation? What amount of care do we take when organising the texts' or narratives? What do we kill and build in the images produced in those texts? What lucid referents may we establish to the understanding of others' experiences? These are some of our doubts and intrigues.