Social and Cultural Anthropology

Widen your perspective with field research

For many students, the three months of fieldwork are a life-changing experience. You and your fellow students will travel to various parts of the world, to seek answers to a wide variety of research questions. After your return, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your fieldwork and discuss your experiences.

A future under occupation
Master’s student Gijs Verbossen carried out his field research among young Palestinians in a West Bank refugee camp. He found that the boys there have no hope of improvement for the future. Growing up under military occupation, their lives are marked by death, violence and oppression. They see the essence of their identity as suffering and enduring, prizing resilience and the determination to stand their ground. Read his blog on "Standplaats Wereld"

The habitus of the orthodox Dutch reformed
In her field research, Rachel Visscher studied the behaviour and identity of the believers of the Reformed Congregation of Genemuiden in the Netherlands. She found that their faith entails many ambiguities. For instance, young believers drink alcohol and go to bars. The community tolerates such behaviour, but still sets itself apart from Dutch society. Rachel concludes that the Reformed Congregation of Genemuiden is protecting its traditional values while simultaneously adapting to modern culture. Read her blog on "Standplaats Wereld"

Fighting HIV/AIDS
Joseph Mumba Zulu, a Master’s student from Zambia, went back to his homeland for his field research to try to understand why people are not accessing the HIV drugs made available to them for free at public health centres. He interviewed people affected by HIV/AIDS, talked to pastors, HIV counsellors and medical personnel, and attended group counselling and testing at a school. He discovered contributing factors including denial, fear, money issues and belief in traditional healing. Read his blog on "World Talent Fund"

 
“Using and losing the forest: Reflections from Southeast Madagascar” (10 minutes)
This short film depicts the people, environments, sounds, and colors of Ampasy Nahampoana, Southeast Madagascar, during three months of fieldwork. It traces the journey of the researcher/filmmaker Caroline Seagle through her interactions with people and landscapes in the village. See this movie

“Some reflections on fieldwork among track & field athletes in London, UK” (12 minutes)
The film is an overview of Kamiel Arents' struggles and developments during his fieldwork among track & field athletes in London. It pictures his search for suitable research locations, the difficulties with interviewing and observations (illustrated by brief interview fragments), and the importance of reflection on the different steps of the research process. See this movie

"A short film on doing anthropological field work” (5 minutes)
The film gives a short impression of doing fieldwork in Morocco. It shows how the Nadia Moussaid organized her research, how she carried out in-depth interviews, and established relations with her informants. It also gives a brief overview of a number central places in her project: schools, the Hilton Park, café’s. The film ends with a short introduction of the researcher’s relatives in Fes. See this movie

Field research blogs on "Standplaats Wereld"

 “Standplaats Wereld” is a weblog which provides the platform for informative, provocative, or surprising opinions about topical issues in the Netherlands and the rest of the world, viewed from an anthropological perspective. Standplaats Wereld has a special issue for field research.