Ethnoforum

Posted on by

Friday 13th March – Ethnoforum – (Melbourne University) – 3:30-5pm (followed by dinner).

The University of Melbourne Ethnography Forum is a place where graduates can think about fieldwork in its broadest terms. It’s intended to be a relaxed, collegial space to float ideas and gain feedback within a supportive academic environment. Graduate students, staff and others with an interest in fieldwork are invited to attend, including those from other disciplines and universities. If you are interested in attending, please email Thomas at [email protected] or Melinda [email protected] to have your name added to the Ethnography Forum email list.

While the Ethnoforum has primarily been utilized by postgrads in anthropology and development studies, it has attracted speakers and participants working in public health, Asian studies and social work. This year we hope to expand its base by incorporating those who use ethnographic research in any area, from law and political science to media studies and criminology.

We are currently calling for presenters to speak at the Ethno Forum in Semester 1. Whether you are entering, leaving or still in the field, the Ethno Forum provides a relaxed environment to share your ideas and receive feedback from your peers. Joint presentations are also welcome. If anyone has any ideas on themes/topics to discuss at the Forum, we’d like to hear them. Presentations are 10-15mins long – no abstracts or formal papers needed – just a topic and a few dot points at the most. We want to hear from those who are preparing for the field and those who’ve made the intrepid journey and returned…

The purpose of Ethnoforum presentations is to stimulate discussion around a specific aspect of the ethnographic method that the speaker is interested in. At a typical event two speakers will give presentations after which there will be about 45 minutes of mediated discussion relating to the aspects of ethnography they raised. Previous presentation topics have included:

  • Religion and fieldwork
  • Friends as participants / friendship in fieldwork
  • Writing people’s stories
  • Dealing with bureaucracy
  • Fieldwork at home
  • Emotions and fieldwork
  • The language barrier
  • Studying up or Studying down – working with elites and as an elite
  • Sex/sexuality in the field
  • Reciprocity in the field / giving back to participants / Money in the field
  • Applying theory to fieldwork

The Forum is followed by drinks and dinner – providing a good opportunity to converse with others with similar interests to your own or to network with your peers.

Please get back to us ASAP if you are interested in presenting or if you want more details about attending the forum.

The Forum is held on the Second Friday of the Month, 3.30pm – 5pm, starting on March 13th, with venue to be advised.

For those new to the Ethno Forum mailing list, see our website:
http://www.ssps.unimelb.edu.au/community/ethnography for more information.