Urban Research Methods: Beyond Static Interviews

With half the global population living in cities, it is high time anthropology completed what Foster and Kemper (1974) have called its “third revolution,” namely the shift of the focus from peasant societies to urban centres. And even though such a shift has already taken place to a certain extent, more than anything it has been only a shift in locality, as fieldwork methodology and practices have changed little if at all. Anthropology’s traditional focus on clearly bounded or marginalised social groups has simply been transferred into the urban context, together with standard ethnographic methods, such as static interviewing and participant observation in given sites. As a result, the new urban anthropology has in fact been an anthropology in the city.

Unlike the societies that anthropology has been traditionally studying, however, urbanites are constantly on move, participate in many different social networks simultaneously, and traverse multiple situations and roles (Hannerz 1980), which makes it difficult to study them with traditional ethnographic methods. As Duijzings (2012) has argued, “[w]hat does ‘participant observation’ mean in this context: when do we participate, and how? And where do we observe?” Similarly, Sanjek (2000) has warned against the dangers of relying exclusively on interviews when conducting research in the urban context, while Leeds (1994) has argued that urban anthropologists, apart from ethnographers, should also be urban historians, using all kinds of available documentary evidence in order to understand the city and how the past has affected the behaviour of its inhabitants.

This problematisation of methodology has led to a new, more encompassing and more holistic approach to the exploration of urbanity, which in fact opens the way to an anthropology of the city. Such an approach, however, requires a new methodological toolkit.

This one-day seminar aspires to offer a platform to the researchers and PhD students working in/on cities to discuss different methods and explore new ways of studying them. We invite PhD students from across disciplines, including—but not limited to—anthropology, sociology, urban studies, area studies, cultural studies, and history to present their work, at any stage it might be, and benefit from individual feedback provided—among others—by the keynote speaker, prof. Ger Duijzings (Universität Regensburg), and two members of faculty who will also present their research.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Participants: Although the course primarily targets PhD students with an interest in cities enrolled in any programme, Master’s students with relevant research topics are also welcome to apply. Participants will be selected on the basis of their application file and field of research. The selected participants are asked to organise travel and accommodation at their own expense.

Requirements: Mandatory readings and active participation in seminar discussions. Participants are strongly encouraged to give a 20-minute presentation of part of their own dissertation project which is relevant to the PhD seminar topic which will result in a higher number of ECTS awarded: 2.4 ECTS for full participation with presentation, and 0.9 ECTS for full participation without presentation.

Application: short CV and PhD project abstract (250 words); for those interested in presenting their work, also an abstract of their presentation (250 words).

Cost: Participation in the course is free of charge. Coffee and a light lunch will be provided.

Venue: University of Copenhagen, South Campus, Faculty of Humanities, 27.1.49

Deadline for submission of applications: February 28, 2015. Please send the documents to the organiser Nikolaos Olma (zpv831@hum.ku.dk).