Paper short abstract:

The proposed paper will analyze the relationship between ethnography and fiction from the point of view of a creative writer.

Paper long abstract:

The proposed paper aims to answer whether fiction informed by ethnography helps understand, across a wide range of audience, the theoretical constructs of culture better or not. The paper will talk about the relationship between ethnography and fiction from the point of view of a creative writer, and compare films to written fictional accounts. I argue that ethnography and fiction share a parasitic, interdisciplinary affinity, where each discipline informs the other, making them richer. On the other hand, an imbalance between the two often results in disaster. The paper is divided into two parts. The first will talk about culture as both liberating and esoteric. I write fiction, teach women's studies, and have terminal degrees in creative writing and literature. My personal experience as a writer in creative writing workshops will highlight writers' struggle to grapple with the culture they represent in the world they create. The second part will analyze fiction by emerging and established writers, and compare it with efforts in films and documentaries.