Description
Book SynopsisEthnography 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
Trade ReviewA 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 Amsterdam
Table of ContentsIntroduction: 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: Dealing with 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
