What are the advantages and disadvantages of someone studying his own society?

Answer 1

Advantages are that the person will have an intrinsic understanding of and psychological profile grounded in their own society. They have access to insights and rationalization, dogma and values, as well as an understanding of myths and emotions passed from other members of their society. This means they should be better at "understanding" the inner-workings of their society compared to someone else external.

Disadvantages run along the same lines - they are biased by the emotional connectedness and impartiality (ability to see beyond/outside their society's bounds). Their way of thinking has been shaped by the society, they may be psychologically unable to challenge or even see/understand certain inherent taboos or deeply-held dogmas. And of course, the nationalistic tendencies may give them an "aura of superiority" that most members of a society inherit from being its part. This means - they've been shaped and defined by the society - so they would likely be limited by this and unable to see or understand beyond that.

Two examples of this: (1) a child born within a prison doesn't see themself as a prisoner or the prison as a prison, and likewise (2) a child born in a poor impoverished nation doesn't think of themselves as poor or impoverished. Both children will have insights into their "society" that outsiders won't have, but also they likely won't understand the external world as would someone living outside their realm. They'll both get pleasure, hierarchy & support, knowledge & mythology, and even rewards & punishment - through that local society - but if these behaviors are significantly different from the "rest of the world" - then their "study" (understanding) of their own society will be limited.