More than other social science methodologies, ethnography is dependent on relationships that researchers establish during fieldwork. These relations are enriching, but also exhausting and hard to conceptualize. In this workshop, we aim to reflect on the political, moral, and affective dimensions of ethnographic research relations. It is common to encounter power imbalances within our fieldwork. But as power is not a fixed state, questions arise: What constitutes power during and after field research? What does it entail to navigate power relations across diverse fields of ethnographic study? And how do we handle research in fields where we may be hesitant to give voice and representation? Zooming-out of the field begs further questions: to what extent is our research complicit in, and how can it potentially contest, prevailing societal power structures? With power comes responsibility. From a relational perspective, responsibility can be understood as a practice of answering, that can be rehearsed: our “response-ability” (Adloff/Hentschel/Hoppe i.E.) towards the climate crisis, global injustice or structural racism. Yet, it is far from clear how this translates into ethnographic practice. Furthermore it is tricky to respond responsibly when doing research with morally problematic groups. The third dimension of ethnographic relations that we seek to explore is inseparable from the domain of politics and morality. Our feelings are politically and morally shaped. Emotions such as fear, sympathy, anger, and shame may seem solely personal, but when understood as affective dynamics within the spheres of power and morality, they are societal forces as well. What can we learn from what we feel during our research? And how might feelings serve as valuable tools for reflecting on our research relationships?

This workshop is an invitation to reflect upon our interactions and relations as ethnographic researchers in terms of power, responsibility and affect. Its overarching objective is to foster an awareness of the intricacies and challenges intrinsic to ethnographic inquiry. As such, we welcome participation from both early-stage and experienced researchers across all domains of political ethnography.

For now, just mark the date in your calendars. More information on the program and registration will follow.

The organizers