You are cordially invited to attend the next ethno-forum which will be held at 3.30pm on the 14th of August. Please note that this ethno-forum will be held in room 519 of the John Medley Building.
The theme of the ethnoforum is‘Development Ethnography? Concerns and constraints of qualitative development study’
Development studies and ethnographic techniques have a problematic connection, with significant qualitative research used to justify development interventions and with the development community funding and enabling much ethnographic work. This month we will consider the relationship between these fields of study, practice and employment. Tamas Wells will reflect on his work in Burma, considering how he negotiated working in an environment of close developer friends who were engaged with his academic practice.Matthew Gmailifo Mabefam will consider the transition from development professional to development academic. While neither of them describe their work as ethnographic, both examine the implications of long-term involvement in communities where the researchers’ presence can address or exacerbate power inequalities.
Tamas Wells
My research is exploring narratives of democratization in Myanmar, looking specfically at the Burmese democracy movement and its Western donor supporters. I had previously lived in Myanmar for seven years – working in the aid sector – and returning to do ‘research’ I felt as though the tools of traditional political ‘science’ (eg surveys) would miss the nuances of political thinking that I had come to perceive during my time living there. While I am not using the term ‘ethnographic’ in describing my methodology, I was attracted to participation, informal interaction and extended interviews as a way of building more nuance in describing meanings given to democracy in Myanmar. But this also raised the question for me of whether research or ethnography can be ‘switched on’ when returning to a familiar place, language and community? Research is inevitably shaped by previous experiences and relationships in that place. But is there also something different in intentionally exploring a research question.
Matthew Gmailifo Mabefam
My research explored how marriage arrangements affect educational attainments of girls in Bolni Ghana. It has been argued that every child has the right to education but many parents will still not enroll their girls in school or enroll them initially but withdraw them as they advance higher in the midst of efforts made by stakeholders. I did field work and engaged with the community members in FGDs, community forums, In-depth interviews as well as key informant interviews. The study found that marriage arrangement decisions both by parents and girls themselves had negative effects on girls’ education. In this presentation, while I reflect on issues of development both as an academician and development practitioner, I will also highlight some challenges I encountered in collecting data from this community as a native.
What: ‘Development Ethnography? Concerns and constraints of qualitative development study’
When: Friday August 14th, 3:30 – 5pm
Where: Room 519, John Medley Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Please join us for drinks and dinner after the event. If you have any questions please contact Tom: [email protected] or Bibiana:[email protected]