On the 1st of March, students conducted a field exercise in the train station of Cornavin, Geneva, as part of the course Ethnographic Fieldwork (ANSO093).

ANSO093 | Spring | 3 ECTS

This seminar is the second part of the introduction to qualitative field methods in the social sciences that spans two semesters. The pedagogical approach is based on the assumption that anthropology and sociology are not meant to discover a pre-existing reality but construct their object in a reflexive movement. Empirical techniques need to be experienced concretely. Building on the main techniques discussed during the previous semester, participants will be asked to conduct a small fieldwork punctuated by practical exercises (writing the field diary, observation and interview notes, coding). In relation to the topic selected, they will be encouraged to contact a variety of actors, including institutions (local associations, municipality and canton offices, international or nongovernmental organisations, etc.). Particular attention will be given to the way researchers negotiate their presence with their interlocutors and how this negotiation influences the information they collect. The seminar favours discussions where participants share their experience.