“EnQuêtes” is a Geneva-based platform which aims to occupy a space somewhere between academy and society. It is mainly composed of graduates from the Neuchâtel Institute of Anthropology. EnQuêtes has two main types of activities. The first consists of organising events to promote anthropology, particularly its value as an analytical and transformative tool for the society. The second range of activity aims at facilitating the possibility for researchers to work on mandates. EnQuêtes provides an administrative as well as scientific follow-up. The organisers strongly believe in the relevance of social sciences today and the urgent need for its promotion and public presence. This is the purpose of EnQuêtes.

Bastien Birchler and Raphaël Rey will make a presentation of EnQuêtes’ main features. They will also invite a member of the platform to talk about his/her experience. Their presentation will address some of the critical issues regarding the translation of anthropological knowledge outside of the academy. They will also tackle some of the challenges of applied anthropology in the local context.

About the Speakers:

Bastien Birchler and Raphaël Rey oversee the coordination of EnQuêtes’ activities. Bastien Birchler works on mandates for EnQuêtes and develops activities and research in the field of visual anthropology. Raphaël Rey is currently a doctoral student in humanities and social sciences at the University of Neuchâtel. Through an ethnographic approach, his doctoral thesis addresses the daily relations between asylum seekers and the Swiss political, legal and administrative frameworks in order to understand the construction of asylum cases and the numerous tactics deployed by asylum seekers to secure their stay in Switzerland.