DOING-IT-YOURSELF: Autoethnography of Manual Work

Autoethnography is a method for cultural research where you are using your own experiences, as a starting point or as examples of more general conditions. You are both the subject and the object of observation. Recently I tried this method in a Do-It-Yourself project, writing field-notes while working as a home fixer with hammer, screw driver and other tools. I found it to be rather tricky to describe manual work with regard to both body and mind. I also reflected on some differences and similarities between writing and DIY. The purpose of self-narrative experiments like this is to improve fieldwork and cultural analysis. By practicing autoethnography you may learn more about the research process and become more conscious of what is going on when you are doing observations and interpreting them.