Workshop: Critical Ethnography
A central concern in political ethnography lies in the relationship between ethnographic research practice and modes of critical and normative politics. Notions of critique in political ethnography can relate to the decisions of what and whom we research, how we understand and represent our objects of research, and how we navigate questions of reflexivity and positionality in our research process. Furthermore, ethnographic research can have the potential to address forms of social injustice and inequalities and develop forms of ‘grounded critique’ that aim at contributing to changing these conditions toward greater equity and equality. We dedicate this workshop to the critical potential of political ethnography and want to dive deeper into the above
aspects in a collaborative manner.
The workshop is co-organized by the DVPW working group “Ethnografische Methoden in der Politikwissenschaft” and the Center for Conflict Studies at Philipps-University, Marburg. It will take place in Marburg on November 3/4, 2022. Please note that travel, accommodation, and dinner need to be covered
by the participants.
Please register at ethnografie@dvpw.de until October 12, 2022.
Program
Thursday, November 3, 2022
2–2.30 pm Welcome & Getting to know each other
2.30–4 pm Roundtable: Different Perspectives on Critical Ethnography
Inputs by:
Katarina Kušić
Post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for Intercultural and
International Studies at the University of Bremen. Research on
everyday experiences of state- and peacebuilding interventions,
and land politics and human-soil relations in the post-Yugoslav
space.
Kristin Anabel Eggeling
Assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at
the University of Copenhagen. Research on diplomacy,
digitalisation, and ethnographic methods in IR.
Ingo Schröder
Private lecturer in social and cultural anthropology in Marburg.
Founding member of EASA’s “Anthropology of Fascism(s)”
network.
Coffee break
4.30–6.00 pm Ethnography as Mode of Critique
In the late afternoon session, we will work in small groups to read and discuss different approaches to critical ethnography and how these perspectives are applied in practice.
Selection of texts:
Coleman (2015), Ethnography, Commitment and Critique
Fassin (2017), The Endurance of Critique
Biel & McKay (2012), Ethnography as Political Critique
Additional reading:
Wellgraf (2020), After exoticism: Ethnography as critique
6.30 pm Joint dinner
Friday, November 4, 2022
9.30–10 am Coffee & Warm-Up
10–11.30 am Ethnography as Mode of Critique
Textwork and Discussions continued.
11.30–12.30 pm Means and Ends of Critical Ethnography – Research
Experiences: Part 1
Lisa Doppler, Justus Liebig University Giessen:
Discussing Critical Theory in the field as activist ethnography
12.30–13.30 pm Lunch
13.30–15.15 pm Means and Ends of Critical Ethnography – Research
Experiences: Part 2
Stefan C. Aykut, University Hamburg:
Collaborative event ethnography as a method to analyze global coordination in practice
Lena Merkle, University Magdeburg:
Hegemony and Power in Remote Ethnographies
15.15–15.45 pm Coffee break
15.45–5 pm Final discussion & future events of the working group
Organizers
Johanna Kocks, Felix Anderl, Julia Leser, Eva Johais
Working Group Ethnografische Methoden in der Politikwissenschaft
Date: November 3–4, 2022
Place: Philipps University Marburg
Dekanatssaal, Ketzerbach 63, 2. OG
35032 Marburg
Contact: E-Mail ethnographie@dvpw.de