Ethnography as Risky Business
Field Research in Violent and Sensitive Contexts
Published on 9. November 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
254 pages
978-1-4985-9845-3 (ISBN)
Description
Ethnography as Risky Business: Field Research in Violent and Sensitive Contexts offers a hands-on, critical appraisal of how to approach ethnographic fieldwork on socio-political conflict and collective violence, focusing on the global south. The volume's contributions are all based on extensive firsthand qualitative social science research conducted in sensitive--and often hazardous--field settings. The contributors reflect on real-life methodological problems as well as the ethical and personal challenges such as the protection of participants, research data and the 'ethnographic self'. In particular, the authors highlight how 'risky ethnography' requires careful maneuvering before, during, and after fieldwork on the basis of a 'situated' ethics, yet also point to the rewards of such an endeavor. If these methodological, ethical and personal risks are managed adequately, the yields in terms of generating a deep understanding of, and critical engagement with, conflict and violence may be substantial.
Reviews / Votes
A must-read for undergraduate and graduate students of conflict and violence! It is theoretically interesting, reflecting a deep, long-term engagement around the University of Utrecht on issues of conflict, social exclusion and marginalization. It is methodologically important, developing an ethical ethnography so much more interesting than the stale rehearsals of ethics boards. Each contributor brings something important to the table, while at the same time maintaining a conversation across each chapter. No small feat at all! -- Steffen Jensen, Aalborg University This timely volume is a critical resource on contemporary fieldwork in violent social contexts. It's a must-read for anthropologists and other scholars engaged in 'risky' qualitative research, where ethnographic encounters involve distrust, suspicion, paranoia and hostility. The brilliant, provocative contributions take the readers on a reflexive journey into the ethically ambiguous world of conducting research in unstable regions. -- Atreyee Sen, University of Copenhagen Foregrounding both the pitfalls and the potential of ethnographic research in violent or politically fraught contexts, the essays in this volume draw from a broad range of fieldwork experiences to highlight the various emotional, ethical, and political dilemmas researchers may encounter. Offering honest, thoughtful reflections on how to negotiate the complexity of such "risky research", this collection will be highly useful to those considering embarking on this type of fieldwork, as well as those returning from it. -- Rivke Jaffe, University of AmsterdamMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
418 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4985-9845-3 (9781498598453)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Ethnography as Risky Business
Field Research in Violent and Sensitive Contexts
E-Book
04/2019
1st Edition
Lexington Books
€40.49
Available for download
Persons
Kees Kooningsis associate professor of anthropology and development studies in theDepartment of Cultural Anthropology at Utrecht University and professor of Brazilian studies at CEDLA, University of Amsterdam.
Dirk Kruijt is professor emeritus of development studies in the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Utrecht University, research fellow at the Center for International Studies of the University Institute of Lisbon, and research fellow at the Centre for Military Studies, Stellenbosch University.
DennisRodgersis research professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and visiting professor in international development studies at the University of Amsterdam.
Dirk Kruijt is professor emeritus of development studies in the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Utrecht University, research fellow at the Center for International Studies of the University Institute of Lisbon, and research fellow at the Centre for Military Studies, Stellenbosch University.
DennisRodgersis research professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and visiting professor in international development studies at the University of Amsterdam.
Content
Introduction: Ethnography as 'Risky Business'
Chapter 1: Researching the Politics of Aid in War-torn Societies: The Case of Chalatenango, El Salvador
Chapter 2: Dealing with Distrust: A Diplomat-Anthropologist Negotiating Obstacles in Politically Sensitive Urban Fieldwork in Sudan
Chapter 3: Researching security in Africa as the "Sierra Foxtrot Golf"
Chapter 4: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Negotiating Identity in Fieldwork Among the National Civil Police in Guatemala
Chapter 5: "Doctor, How Can We Improve Our Image in Europe?": Researching War and Peace in Colombia as an Ethnographer-Consultant
Chapter 6: Interviewing Revolutionary Generations in Latin America: A Personal Memoir
Chapter 7: "You are not like the Ladinos at all": Reflections on Fieldwork, Cataloguing the Researcher and Knowledge Production
Chapter 8: Keeping a Distance? Dealing With Perpetrators of Violence in a Guatemalan Town
Chapter 9: From 'Broder' to 'Don': Methodological Reflections on Longitudinal Gang Research in Nicaragua
Chapter 10: Interpretation of Dreams and Humor in Affective Fieldwork on State Violence in Argentina
Chapter 11: Swimming with Former Combatants: Ethics and Pragmatics of Fieldwork in Post War zones in Sri Lanka
Chapter 12: Ethical Issues Raised by Legal Anthropological Research on Local Dispute Settlement in Ecuador
Chapter 13: Security at Stake: Dealingwith Violence and Public (In)security in a Popular Neighborhood in Guadalajara, Mexico
Chapter 14: Among Comrades: (Dis)trust in Ethnographic Fieldwork with Former Salvadoran Revolutionaries
Chapter 15: Embedded Ethnography: Conflict Research Through an International Peace Mission in Colombia
Chapter 16: Fieldwork Frontiers: Danger, Uncertainty, and Limitations During Research with Former Combatants in Mozambique
Chapter 1: Researching the Politics of Aid in War-torn Societies: The Case of Chalatenango, El Salvador
Chapter 2: Dealing with Distrust: A Diplomat-Anthropologist Negotiating Obstacles in Politically Sensitive Urban Fieldwork in Sudan
Chapter 3: Researching security in Africa as the "Sierra Foxtrot Golf"
Chapter 4: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Negotiating Identity in Fieldwork Among the National Civil Police in Guatemala
Chapter 5: "Doctor, How Can We Improve Our Image in Europe?": Researching War and Peace in Colombia as an Ethnographer-Consultant
Chapter 6: Interviewing Revolutionary Generations in Latin America: A Personal Memoir
Chapter 7: "You are not like the Ladinos at all": Reflections on Fieldwork, Cataloguing the Researcher and Knowledge Production
Chapter 8: Keeping a Distance? Dealing With Perpetrators of Violence in a Guatemalan Town
Chapter 9: From 'Broder' to 'Don': Methodological Reflections on Longitudinal Gang Research in Nicaragua
Chapter 10: Interpretation of Dreams and Humor in Affective Fieldwork on State Violence in Argentina
Chapter 11: Swimming with Former Combatants: Ethics and Pragmatics of Fieldwork in Post War zones in Sri Lanka
Chapter 12: Ethical Issues Raised by Legal Anthropological Research on Local Dispute Settlement in Ecuador
Chapter 13: Security at Stake: Dealingwith Violence and Public (In)security in a Popular Neighborhood in Guadalajara, Mexico
Chapter 14: Among Comrades: (Dis)trust in Ethnographic Fieldwork with Former Salvadoran Revolutionaries
Chapter 15: Embedded Ethnography: Conflict Research Through an International Peace Mission in Colombia
Chapter 16: Fieldwork Frontiers: Danger, Uncertainty, and Limitations During Research with Former Combatants in Mozambique