Truth, Truthiness, and Alice Goffman’s Dramatic Ethnography

How can we judge the validity of research in an academic discipline like anthropology?

If there is such a thing as a “celebrity” young scholar, Alice Goffman comes as close to that characterization as anyone in the social sciences or the humanities today. Her 2014 book On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City was published to excellent reviews and was prominently featured on many print, digital, and broadcast outlets. This intimate examination of life among impoverished black youths in inner city Philadelphia was acclaimed for its insights into the violent and fearful environment which envelops such young people throughout their often truncated lives. Indeed, so well received was the original publication that it was issued in 2015 as a trade publication, a rare distinction for a scholarly book that was adapted from a doctoral dissertation.

But Alice Goffman has also become a celebrity in a less happy sense. Before too much time had elapsed, she was publicly attacked on two fronts. A legal scholar claimed that in her description of a car ride undertaken to catch and punish a presumed murderer of a man with whom she had become friendly, Goffman was actually committing a felony—accessory to attempted murder. Then, when Goffman responded that the car ride was not really destined for revenge, just for releasing tension, she was accused of distorting her data in order to weave a more tantalizing tale.

In a natural or physical science, critics or sympathizers would have asked for the “actual” data, so that one could determine how the incident-in-question had ”actually” transpired. Indeed, viewed through the lens of traditional a science like physics or biology, it should have been possible to ascertain the accuracy of all the facts, figures, statements, and vignettes in Goffman’s book. But when confronted with challenges to her accounts, Goffman readily responded that she had destroyed all of her records from the study in order to protect the identity of her subjects. Moreover, in this claim, she was supported by many—though by no means all—sociologists and anthropologists. These interpretive social scientists pointed out that one cannot carry out such studies unless one commits to protecting the identities of those who have been studied; indeed, it may not even be possible to obtain the necessary “human subjects approval” unless such disguising takes place. And so, in effect, both scientific colleagues and lay readers have to rely on the trustworthiness and truthfulness of the scholar.

I was reminded of a debate that took place over several years at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. My colleague and friend, Professor Elliot Eisner, argued vigorously that one should be able to submit a novel or some other work of art for a doctoral dissertation in education. I took the ‘con’ side. I said that we inevitably judge novels as works of art, and so there could be a beautifully executed novel that had little or no truth value, as well as a clumsily wrought novel that captured significant educational truths. “Leave novels to the novelist,” I insisted. ”Have doctoral students—future professors and professionals—do scientific (or philosophical or historical) dissertations.”

Those who trained Goffman vouched for her carefulness as a scholar. According to their testimony, she regularly reported to them what she was finding, and her dissertation was consistent with her reports-on-work-in-progress. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of her mentors. Yet they could scarcely claim anything else, without conceding that they had not adequately supervised her dissertation—and her professors at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania would hardly want to make that concession.

While Goffman, armed with a PhD, is a certified sociologist, her work seems better thought of as anthropology, or ethnography. Particularly in Britain, there is said to be a “tradition” of such scholars conveniently losing their field notes—well before there were human studies committees in place. And even if such field notes had been preserved in full, it would be very difficult for others to judge to what extent the thesis—or the book that grew out of it—took advantage of literary license or simply engaged in concealing revealing information about subjects. Also, ethnographers who visit the same area can fashion radically different portraits: anthropologist Derek Freeman accused his world-famous predecessor Margaret Mead of being duped by her subjects in the South Seas.

Does that mean that universities should not validate ethnographies as fulfilment of the requirements for a doctorate, unless they are as accurate as a news report or a documentary is supposed to be? The academy would be much the poorer if we were deprived of the works of such anthropologists as Bronislaw Malinowski or Clifford Geertz or Tanya Luhrmann, even if they have disguised identities of individuals or communities. Yet I don’t believe that a doctoral degree should be based completely on the perceived trustworthiness of the anthropologist-in-training.

I suggest two steps. First of all, the drafts of the dissertation should be read only by the candidate’s dissertation committee, and the committee should have access to the unadorned notes; the committee’s approval would constitute an assurance to the scholarly community that proper procedures have been followed and that the version of the dissertation that is made public captures the actual data satisfactorily. Second, consistent with the position I took in my debates with Elliot Eisner, the dissertation should make a theoretical or conceptual contribution to anthropology, and that contribution should be spelled out explicitly. Even if the ethnography tells a story so compelling that it deserves a Pulitzer Prize, it should be eligible for the prize in nonfiction—not the fiction prize.

Introducing “The Professional Ethicist”

I am pleased to introduce “The Professional Ethicist.” In this blog, I (and others) will discuss vexed ethical issues that arise in the workplace and also in other sectors of society.

The name of the blog may appropriately raise a few eyebrows. I’ve selected it for two reasons: 1) the blog will largely address questions that arise in one or more professions, ranging from law and medicine to education and journalism; and 2) except for a few philosophers who write generally about ethics, most individuals are interested in the ethics of particular vocations or areas of focus. In the blog, we will deliberately cast our net widely, across the professional landscape and beyond. For the time being, with the help of Danny Mucinskas, I will host and curate the blog. But my aspiration is that others will also contribute; we’ll feature conversations and interactive forums; and this blog will become a “go-to” place for many who crave careful considerations of the most challenging issues that arise in work and life. We want the blog to become interactive in content and form; we plan to structure some blogs as dialogues between us and members of other organizations and seek a robust commentary from readers.

Why The Third E?: Excellence and engagement are not enough

In 1995, Mihaly Csikzentmihaly, Bill Damon, and I embarked on an ambitious line of psychological research, which eventually became the Good Work Project. After ten years of research, involving the efforts of many wonderful colleagues and over 1200 individual subjects drawn from nine different professions, we finally arrived at a succinct definition of Good Work. Indeed, we even captured it in a sleek visual:

On our account, good work in any profession entails three elements:

1. It is technically excellent. The good worker—be she a teacher, a lawyer, an engineer, a nurse— knows her stuff.

2. It is engaging. The good worker likes to go to work, appreciates the institution in which she works, values her colleagues, and relishes the opportunity to practice her craft.

3. It is carried out in an ethical manner. The good worker recognizes ethical quandaries, takes them seriously, consults as appropriate with colleagues, learns from her mistakes, and tries to do better the next time and share her insights, as appropriate.

It would be desirable if the three Es were essentially identical or highly correlated, but they are not.

Consider John, a hypothetical teacher. He might know his material well but has burnt out as a teacher, or he might be an enthusiastic teacher but has not kept up with the field. Or he might be both knowledgeable and enthusiastic but cut every corner in his work, has been insensitive to the needs of his students and colleagues, and is disrespectful of the institution in which he teaches. Or consider Sally, a hypothetical cardiologist. She might be well-informed or out of touch with current medical knowledge. She may be deeply involved in or alienated from her practice. And she might be scrupulous in avoiding conflicts of interest with regard to pharmaceuticals she recommends to patients, or, in return for the regimen than she routinely prescribes, she may take advantage of every favor that the local pharmaceutical company can bestow upon her.

All three Es are important; we’d like all teachers and physicians to exemplify excellence, engagement, and ethics.

In “The Professional Ethicist,” we focus chiefly on ethical facets of work, and particularly work in the professions. It is in the sphere of ethics—rather than in the realms of excellence or engagement—that we encounter a crisis. Professions cannot continue to exist, let alone merit respect, unless those who are honored with that title are constantly vigilant about the effects of their words and deeds on those whom they are supposed to serve.

No need to posit a golden age. It does not matter if professionals in the past did not always live up to this ideal. What does matter is that high-quality professional practice is nowadays in peril. The contributing factors are several: among them, a diminution of public spiritedness; an emphasis on monetary rewards above all else; and the disruptive facets (both energizing and troubling) of ubiquitous digital media. Indeed, if an aspiring lawyer who has only taken online courses can do as well on the bar exam as the graduate of a prestigious three-year law school, by what right can we deny her the title of lawyer and the right to practice law?

We focus here on the professions because it is in this vocational sphere that ethical standards have been explicitly stated. But it is important to stress that any worker—be she the chief surgeon at a major medical center or the waitperson in the local deli—can be a good worker. That person needs to do her job well, like to come to work, and care about the quality of her relations to those with whom she comes into contact as well as the problems that arise on the job. Nor does the awarding of a professional license make one automatically into a good worker. We all know of individuals who, despite their prestigious titles, are blind to the ethical aspects of their work—or who, despite having their eyes wide open, still fail to pass the ethical test.

It may be that professions as we know them will pass from the scene. (Indeed, some professions like barbering have disappeared and others, like journalism, are in jeopardy.) But unless they are replaced by comparable institutions, where the majority of practitioners strive to ‘do the right thing,’ we will have a society in which no one will want to live. And that would indeed be tragic.

Global Citizens Youth Summit Students Share Ideas on Good Work

by The Good Team

The second annual Global Citizens Youth Summit was held at Harvard University in August 2015, bringing together rising high school seniors from 14 different countries. Founded by Yumi Kuwana, the Summit is an intensive program designed to foster a world-wide civic outlook and to encourage the next generation of leaders to do good. Several of the Summit’s lectures focused on the three E’s of the Good Project (excellence, ethics, and engagement).

Kuwana invited us to come to her session on “Excellence.” During the discussion, she focused attention on the need to cultivate qualities such as self-esteem, resilience, empathy, and integrity in order to thrive in a multicultural world. Asking students to offer their ideas on the meaning of “excellence,” Kuwana stressed the importance of developing a disposition of perseverance while remaining open to continuous learning.

We spoke with four students about their experiences at the Summit and learned about their insights on leadership and Good Work. Please see, in an edited version of our discussion, selected quotes from the young scholars.

Q: After today’s session, which of the 3 Es (engagement, ethics, and excellence) did you find most compelling? Why?

“Excellence, because it can be difficult to remain excellent in challenging situations. I also find ethics to be compelling because it may be hard to hold true to your values as well.”

“I liked learning about all of the 3 Es. One thing I would add to the discussion is that ethics varies based on your culture or doxa (shared beliefs with others), and that through comparison across cultures, we can see the varying norms that shape societies under the surface.”

“Ethics was most compelling for me because there are many ethical problems in the world, and I am very curious about that. There are some Korean people living in Japan because of the former colonization efforts, but sometimes these Koreans are disoriented by Japanese society. Many Japanese young people are interested in this and other ethical problems.”

Q: Tell us about a memorable experience from your own life that you think connects with Good Work themes.

“I see engagement in the way my father loves having children and has a passion for his family. I have over twenty siblings (which is not entirely unusual in Somalia, where I am from), and I see serious engagement in the way that my father cares for us.”

“There is one committee member of my school’s student union who really embodies engagement. He is always able to mobilize other members to take action on specific issues and to bring lots of people together in discussions that incorporate multiple viewpoints.”

“In my own education, I’m used to passively listening to lectures from my teachers. The Harkness method of teaching that was used in this program has motivated me to strive for more.”

Q: What kinds of projects do you do in your own life that reflect Good Work?

“I worked at an orphanage center in Somalia, tutoring children. The military officials who are charged with overseeing the orphans are usually not very caring, but because I showed concern for them, the children came to trust me.”

“I am very active in figure skating, which gives me a sense of accomplishment outside of academics. By striving for excellence and feeling a sense of engagement in this hobby, I find that it easy to stay involved even when there are times I feel like quitting.”

“The organization of our school carnival was a project that required excellence and engagement from me and my peers. This was open to the entire school community, and in order to ensure that everything ran smoothly, we had to put in long hours of effort filling out paperwork, inviting local businesses, and setting up booths. The event was a success because of our dedication.”

Q: Tell us about a mentor that you have or someone that you look up to. What makes this person admirable? Do they exemplify Good Work?

“I look up to Jonathan Starr, a former hedge fund investor who started a school with the goal of providing a better education to young Somalis. Everything was provided to me as a student there. With Mr. Starr as a mentor, I see how he gave me a valuable opportunity to tap into my potential, which I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to access.”

“I have a friend a year older than me who is going to Oxford this year. He is gifted at math, and his commitment to the subject demonstrates excellence and engagement. I am grateful for his encouragement, pushing me to do better at my studies and to be more involved in extracurriculars.”

“My father is a doctor, and I really respect him and the way he interacts with patients. Even if he gets a call in the middle of the night, he makes sure to be available, consulting with other doctors over the phone. He works hard and is still very modest, which for the Japanese is an important virtue.”

Q: What does leadership mean to you? What are the characteristics of a “good” leader?

“A good leader understands what his or her people need and the best ways to satisfy those needs. Leaders also set positive examples and create a legacy for themselves, understanding the responsibility they have to show people there is something ‘better’ for which to aim.”

“Good leaders should have the capability to organize people and be forceful commanders with the strength to make difficult choices while still remaining aware and thoughtful. They commit themselves to serve the will of the community. However, good leaders are not necessarily good people (as outlined in Machiavelli’s The Prince).”

“Leadership isn’t only about the ability to talk in front of large groups of people; leaders are ideally good listeners. On a wider scale, I think “global leaders” must understand other countries’ histories and perspectives and respect the traditions of others. I was born and brought up in Japan, so I have only known Japanese people, but when I look around the room at my fellow scholars, I see that I have friends and connections from all around the world.”

Q: How do you think you will take what you learned about Good Work and apply it to your life and work?

“My long-term goal is to help Somalis create a more stable government. It takes time to understand your capabilities, but this program has brought me a step closer to realizing how I can use my leadership skills to help those in my country.”

“I learned how beneficial discussions are to the understanding of multiple viewpoints. In Hong Kong, where I am from, it is taboo to ask ‘stupid questions’ in school, but the sessions at this summit have given me the confidence to ask for clarification if I don’t understand something that is being said in the classroom. I also learned more about life as a whole through the 3 Es; I feel that I now can recognize the effects of culture on our beliefs and how stereotypes can influence thoughts and actions. I will be more curious and seek to learn more in the future.”

“I want to be a diplomat and work globally, and what I learned in this summit will definitely be applicable in that line of work. The biggest thing I learned is to have a broader perspective and to be less judgmental of others, particularly those who come from different backgrounds. Before coming to this program, all I knew about some countries was what I had read in a textbook, and I automatically made certain assumptions about “developing” or “poorer” countries. However, by listening to the stories of the other scholars who come from these places, I see things in a different light. I should have more respect for those countries and those people. Here, we have had many conversations in order to share our ideas and diverse experiences.”

Click here to learn more about the Global Citizens Initiative.

Head of School Chris Fortunato’s Commencement Address at Blair Academy

by Danny Mucinskas

On May 21, 2015, Head of School Chris Fortunato delivered a speech at the Commencement exercises at Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ. Offering reflections and words of wisdom for the graduating senior class, Fortunato’s comments resonated with several of the Good Project’s guiding values, including the importance of purpose, the power of personal principles and ethics, and the vital need for people to do good work that advances our communities and society.

Read the full speech below. (Note: the text has been edited for brevity.)

As I have the privilege of standing before you, our Class of 2015, one last time together, I admit I’m feeling parental, experiencing the range of emotions that no doubt your parents and families are feeling today. I am proud of you, because you’ve accomplished so much; but more so because you are simply very good people. I am sad, because now at the end of my and Mrs. Fortunato’s second year, we have grown to know many of you–you’ve spent time with our own children, and you have brought joy to our lives, and we’ll miss that more than you know. I also feel as hopeful as I have ever been in my life, because you are all becoming exactly what the world needs for it to become a better place, no matter what you choose to do. I found myself, over the last couple of nights, struggling to find the right words that encapsulate this range of feelings that I and our faculty have, to do justice to how much I admire you, how much you’re loved in this community, and how excited we are for you to take on your futures and to live your stories.

I posed the question: How do I sum up the stew of somewhat conflicted feelings we are experiencing as we deliver you into the next chapter of your lives? And I found what I was looking for, what I wanted to say to all of you–and it’s this–“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard!” The words come from author A.A. Milne and were voiced by one his title characters–an unassuming young leader by the name of Winnie the Pooh.

Of course, your varied and wonderful voices will echo in our heads and hearts long past your graduation. They have grown strong individually and collectively over your years at Blair. It has been our pleasure for us to hear them, help them grow and celebrate them even when they are quiet ones. There are moments when your voices rose in ways public and not so public that were simply so true to who you are and what you care about that they will forever stick with me, with all of us.

I am grateful to all of you personally as well, for as I have spent the last two years discovering Blair, you have taught me about this community, our culture, what we must always preserve and what things new we might explore. You’ve helped me develop my own voice, no doubt a work in progress, as your Head of School.

As you look ahead, change is all around you. It will in fact be one of the few constants in your life, in all of our lives. But I have also discovered and wish to share with you another observation, if not a piece of advice–the greater the frequency and speed of change, the more important it becomes to recognize and hold on to those things that must remain steady and true. Things such as these:

-Your principles define who you are and they can never be taken away from you. They impact every decision you will make. You will filter every challenge, opportunity, relationship and conversation through those values. So, as you march through life, please keep asking yourself–what matters most to me, what are the things for which I stand? Do this often, so you can know yourself and help others know the real you. Don’t steer away from this exploration of your values, of who you are and who you are NOT, even if others judge you or don’t understand, even if it at times it frightens you, even if you change your mind. And you will change your mind, which is entirely okay. It is part of growing up. Some people might fault you for being inconsistent or impermanent–I will, however, honor you for your trying to find your way, your true north.

-Another thing I also know to be true is the Blair bubble we so often talk about. People have been talking about it since long before you or I stepped foot on this campus. It endures and always will, but the best thing about the Blair bubble has never been what it keeps out but rather what it keeps in, what it keeps close and what it nurtures–curiosity, resilience and, most importantly, friendship. And here’s the thing: The real Blair bubble, the one that really matters, is not the one you leave behind as you leave campus. In fact, it’s the one you take with you. Inside it is the best of what you’ve experienced and what you’ve become, and it lives on in the good work you’ll do and in the people whose lives you’ll enter. Spread the bubble beyond this campus, and go out and make the world more like the best of what you’ve experienced here.

-Finally, throughout your time at Blair, you have heard the following, and I want it to be the words with which you close your time with us. Life is about love. Don’t ever forget that. It’s about love. Love of learning, of living, of family and friends. It is the reason, ultimately, that most of us do what we do, strive to be successful, make a difference and accomplish things that are important. It’s the reason we push ourselves past our limits, take risks and dare to share our stories. And you are, indeed, loved by the people here today–your parents, relatives, friends, faculty and your Head of School. Carry that with you in times of joy and hardship. And share it. That’s the real secret. Discover what you love in the world and share your world with those you love.

Blair Academy Class of 2015, we honor all that you’ve achieved and congratulate you!