Life History's History: Subjects Foretold

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Abstract
This article considers three different issues that pertain to life history research—where the author, the "I," fits into the text, where the Other fits into the project, and how we represent the Other and our selves in the text. The author suggests that autoethnography and life stories are powerful research tools that ultimately enable a writer to deal with difference and to ensure that, in doing so, people are not all assimilated into one mainstream sameness. The article highlights these issues by way of three research projects. One project pertains to understanding college preparation programs for low- income youth; a second project investigates the success of Native Americans in overcom ing educational obstacles. The third project considers the anatomy of hate by studying gay bashers. Ultimately, the article focuses on notions of polyphony and multivocality in culture and how we use them in the development of life histories.

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