Insider vs. Outsider Debate

I do not feel that it is necessary for a person to be an insider or an outside to a culture to be able to write about the culture they chose to write about.

Prior to reading the articles, I would have definetly said that in order for an author to write about a particular culture they would have had to live it and know how a person of that culture feels deep deep down in their emotions. However, I have decided that in order to write a story about a culture you defiantly need to do your research and talk to all different people of that culture, but there is no reason an outsider could not do this just as well as an insider. Both would run the risk of writing stereotypes or making a mistake about some aspect of the culture just as both are able to succeed in writing an enlightening and enriching story about the culture.

I feel that books need to be judged by what is in them not by who the author is. As long as the author takes their time and works hard at writing an authentic text, it should make no difference if they are an insider or an outsider.