Presentation: Risks, conflicts, and power relations during fieldwork

Abstract

We present the dossier Conflicts and Power Relations in Anthropological Fieldwork Contexts, which aims to reflect on practical and analytical dilemmas in conducting research in anthropology, specifically from the perspective of when being in the field means being at risk. Much has been written about strategies for conducting research in violent contexts, but the accounts of experiences of violence lived by researchers during fieldwork have not always gone beyond informal discussions about the behind-the-scenes of research and become objects of reflection. This is because making some field occurrences public is generally surrounded by prohibitions, silences, and uncertainties, as exposing these situations may raise questions about the professionalism of the researcher, the data, or create new conflicts and retaliation. Therefore, we sought to create a space for sharing experiences and reflections that could contribute to methodological and ethical debates by addressing the challenges that researchers face in the field. The articles presented emphasize analyses of field research shaped by unpredictabilities, power relations, and violations; accounts of how inequalities and violent situations impacted knowledge production and academic careers; and reflections on the effects of these situations on the writing of research findings. This effort aims to ultimately provoke a broader debate both on research ethics and on safety protocols and the institutionalization of protection networks for researchers.