Ethnography as Risky Business: Field Research in Violent and Sensitive Contexts

A must-read for undergraduate and graduate students of conflict and violence! It is theoretically interesting, reflecting a deep, long-term engagement around the University of Utrecht on issues of conflict, social exclusion and marginalization. It is methodologically important, developing an ethical ethnography so much more interesting than the stale rehearsals of ethics boards. Each contributor brings something important to the table, while at the same time maintaining a conversation across each chapter. No small feat at all!

— Steffen Jensen, Aalborg University

This timely volume is a critical resource on contemporary fieldwork in violent social contexts. It’s a must-read for anthropologists and other scholars engaged in ‘risky’ qualitative research, where ethnographic encounters involve distrust, suspicion, paranoia and hostility. The brilliant, provocative contributions take the readers on a reflexive journey into the ethically ambiguous world of conducting research in unstable regions.

— Atreyee Sen, University of Copenhagen

Foregrounding both the pitfalls and the potential of ethnographic research in violent or politically fraught contexts, the essays in this volume draw from a broad range of fieldwork experiences to highlight the various emotional, ethical, and political dilemmas researchers may encounter. Offering honest, thoughtful reflections on how to negotiate the complexity of such “risky research”, this collection will be highly useful to those considering embarking on this type of fieldwork, as well as those returning from it.

— Rivke Jaffe, University of Amsterdam