ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the issue of positionality and subjectivity from the perspective of the anthropologist. It argues that anthropology, as a discipline that has actively engaged in the discussion around the position of the researcher can be helpful outside of its boundaries. Positionality is a theme that is an intrinsic part of doing anthropological research such as ethnography. Ethnography is one of the central anthropological approaches to study social phenomena and write about them. One of the most important rules within the code of ethics of the American Anthropological Association is “doing no harm”. Anthropologists studying perpetrators are more likely to be asked to explain their moral position within the debates surrounding said conflict/war/occupation in order to legitimize the authors' findings. The first kind of criticism usually means an attack on the research for being “one-sided,” i.e. writing from the point of view of Israeli soldiers, not from that of Palestinians.