(De)facing the Self

Abstract

This article draws on Lacanian theories of subjectivity to examine notions of the self in autoethnography. The authors discuss philosophical differences between Humanist and post-Humanist notions of the self and show how these notions are correlated to particular self-study genres, such as confession and testimony. The authors argue that autoethnographic narratives exhibit contradictory tendencies toward both Humanist and post-Humanist conceptions of subjectivity. Questionnaire responses from four participants are analyzed for evidence of this contradiction. The article concludes by suggesting that resolving the contradiction is neither possible nor desirable.