Comments on: Two realizations about fieldwork

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:20:53 +0000

http://socialsciences.people.hawaii.edu/esyllabi/ <— look for it here

By: Rebecca Sparks

Rebecca Sparks — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:17:37 +0000

I’m very interested in your methods class. I’m a brand new graduate student and the university I attend does not have a methods class in itself; from what I understand, they seem to think it is a superfluous class because you get much more individual attention when you write your thesis. When you write up your syllabus, could I perhaps have a copy too?

By: Tad McIlwraith

Tad McIlwraith — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:50:22 +0000

Thanks for these reflections, Rex. I am undertaking my first post-dissertation fieldwork later this summer and have come to the same thoughts around the ‘deep hanging out’ notion of fieldwork that you have. Part of the issue is being able to speak more responsibility, more credibly (whatever) to my students. But, it’s also about being more responsible to the people I work with. Turns out (I write with my tongue in my cheek) they are very interested in ‘answers to questions’ too — sure, generally descriptive work appeals to them to the extent that it helps fill their archives with ‘stuff.’ But they have told me that resolving questions around the impact of mining developments in local hunting territories is of real value – whatever the answers may be. (And, to be sure, I expect that humanity will infuse whatever results I find.)

All the best with your work …

Tad