TY - JOUR AU - Menzfeld, Mira PY - 2021/05/05 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Composing Ethnographic Texts. How to Use Stylistic and Argumentative Techniques Properly JF - Ethnoscripts JA - ethnoscripts VL - 23 IS - 1 SE - Schwerpunkt DO - UR - https://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/ethnoscripts/article/view/1665 SP - AB - <p>Being a good ethnographer means, amongst other things, not forgetting the future reader during the writing process. This article discusses one possible approach for crafting reader-friendly ethnographies. I review basic strategies for creating stringent and straightforward texts, drawing on the journalistic canon of <em>Reportage</em> writing, and sketch how I personally apply or modify these techniques when composing an ethnography. I address elements such as clear formulation, coherent argumentation, adequate <em>pars pro toto</em> scenes, vivid language, and the difficult terrain of symbols and metaphors. I also suggest steps for reworking the first draft of the text. I conclude by arguing that cultivating and cherishing a recipient-friendly communication style is vital for the public visibility of cultural and social anthropology.</p> ER -