Chapter 7: Lessons from my year as a freshman & Afterword
In chapter 7, Small (1997) mentioned the lessons she had learned as a freshman. Also included were needs and suggested improvements from the perspectives of students, teachers, and school. In afterword, she assured the readers of the ethical validity of her research citing the ethical standards of ethnographic methodology. For example, she stated that all interviewees had been explained the purpose of the interviews and that permission had been obtained from them.
I still do not understand the author’s reason for inserting chapter 7 and afterword. This may have to do with possible issues arising from the use of ethics in research. In other words, she had foreknowledge of ethical invalidity concerning her conducting ethnography research as an “undercover” agent. For this reason, I believe that chapter 7 and afterword are the pleas of the author. It is unacceptable that Small attempts to influence the readers in the closing of the book by defending her misuse of research ethics.
The author’s compassion for students as evident in her effort to understand their needs is noteworthy (p. 135). Also, her wholehearted expectation for the educational growth of students through learning from proper class attendance serves personally as a helpful reminder (p.145).
Regardless of other valid aspects of the research, it is clear that Small’s duplicity caused emotional scars to the freshmen students, whose transparent honesty she took advantage of (p. 161). In addition, it left a flaw in research ethics.
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