Reflection as assembled practice

Abstract

Ethnographic research is reflexive, both with regard to one's own research practice and to one's own person in a societal context. How exactly this is the case is rarely discussed. Implicitly, this reflexivity is often understood as an individual's mental attitude and critical capacity. Ever since the fully reflexive research subject has become the norm in European Ethnology, this understanding of reflexivity needs updating. I propose here to understand reflexivity as a assembled practice and thus make it available for empirical research. Reflexivity as a assembled practice decentres, firstly, reflexivity as a mental process and instead establishes reflection as a concrete material-semiotic practice. Secondly, this perspective decentres the individual epistemic subject in favour of reflection as a co-laborative practice. Third, this approach advocates open-ended reflection as an end in itself rather than placing it at the service of a specific form of critique.