ABSTRACT
When I entered the field in the late 1960s, educational anthropologists/sociologists were mostly White middle-class males. One of the most exciting new developments in educational research is the emergence of the “ethnic educational ethnographer.” Noted anthropological historian Marcus (1998) cited this rise of “native anthropologists” as the single most important development in anthropology. It signals the end of anthropology as a colonial/neocolonial enterprise and acknowledges that “insiders” studying their own culture elevates the quality of ethnographic fieldwork. Insiders have obvious political, linguistic, and cultural advantages. On the other hand, neither Marcus nor I would argue that “insider ethnography” is without problems. Nor would we argue that insiders can and should replace outsiders completely. I do not explore the pros and cons of insider versus outsider ethnographers in this chapter.
