In “House for the Homeless,” Ivana addresses her positioning by describing her experience as a Bosnian refugee and the struggles her family faced adjusting to their new lives. She believes that her “personal experiences have made [her] more responsive and sensitive to the misfortunes of others” (46). Her compassion for the homeless, as well as her lack of understanding regarding their situation, seemed to be the motivating force behind her research. Throughout her ethnography she periodically mentions assumptions and preconceptions she has about the homeless shelter, such as when she “expected to find a place saturated with religion” (47). Similarly, her father’s work experience causes her to make certain assumptions about Solomon’s situation (50). I think Cintron was much more thorough in addressing his fixed and subjective positioning in the opening chapter of Angel’s Town. He gives much greater detail when describing his motivation for his research and his influences throughout the process. However, this is likely the result of his research being a larger and more extensive endeavor. I think Ivana did a better job in addressing her subjectivity throughout her analysis and allowing the reader to see how her personal experiences affected her perceptions of the homeless people she encountered.
Question: Do you think Ivana’s experience as a Bosnian refugee significantly affected what she looked for at the homeless shelter or how she perceived those she was observing? Do you think she adequately addressed this possible bias as she explained her interpretations?
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