Kerry pointed out:
". . . there's another thing affected by where a writer works
and lives and that's the skill of observervation. Outsider
status can make the writer more sensitive to the distinct
aspects of a culture that insiders take for granted. Not that
it's essential to be an outsider, or that moving, say, from
LA to Kansas City wouldn't accomplish the same thing, but it
probably helped in the cases you mentioned."
I think there's probably distinct advantages to both outsider
and insider status. Outsiders could very well recognize and
highlight taken for granted characteristics; insiders could
have access to levels an outsider would never get to see.
It's the old emic/edic debate in the social sciences.
Mark
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