Autoethnography Comes of Age

This chapter considers the three major texts on autoethnography, including Handbook of Autoethnography, Contemporary British Autoethnography, Turner, and Grant; and Autoethnography. Such texts represent a coming of age for autoethnography. They provide a wonderful resource to guide and support both seasoned autoethnographers and newcomers alike. Consequently, the chapter argues that it is a good time to be an autoethnographer and a good time to think about becoming one. The chapter explores some of the consequences and comforts of autoethnography's coming of age. Autoethnography remains one of the most difficult and challenging qualitative approaches for the foreseeable future and that those who choose this approach need do so with a full awareness of what they are taking on and the risks involved. The chapter further considers some of these risks in more detail as they warrant the concerns of all qualitative researchers, and autoethnographers in particular.