Rude Boy Subculture, Critical Pedagogy, and the Collaborative Construction of an Analytic and Evocative Autoethnography

What is it about?

This article provides a very insider's perspective on being subcultural in southeast Asia in the early 21st century. It takes the experiences of one person and his identity as a Rude Boy and maps out their significance through a performed dialogue with his teacher. The article promotes collaborative auto-ethnography, subculture studies, and critical pedagogy--and speaks to issues in each of these fields.

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Why is it important?

This study does several things at once. First, it enters the debate about analytic versus evocative forms of autoethnography and argues for using aspects of both traditions. Second, it argues that autoethnographies are never truly subjective because all human experience is socially grounded. It therefore argues for recognition of the collaborative construction of autoethnographies. Third, it reports on how teachers and students can work together through classroom-based researchers in ways that improve sociological knowledge and positively impact the lives of the researchers.