PhD Fieldwork Methods Workshop
Thu 14 Mar 2024 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM GMT
Franklin Wilkins Building, room 1.17, SE1 9NH
Description
The prospect of conducting fieldwork as part of a PhD is both exciting and daunting. In a post-Covid context where virtual connections are easier and more abundant than ever before, this workshop reflects on the value and challenges of in-person fieldwork. At the same time, there is increasing attention to the ethical dilemmas of conducting fieldwork (Bunting, Kinconco & Quirk 2023) in a global academic context that remains structured by (post)colonial inequalities in terms of knowledge production and access. This workshop is for PhD students who have or are planning on doing fieldwork as part of their degree giving them an opportunity to hear from speakers who have conducted fieldwork within a range of disciplines including politics, development studies, conflict studies and global health, with a focus on the Global South. Speakers will reflect on a variety of methodologies within the broad category of what Bourneman and Hammoudi (2009) term “being there”: interviews, surveys, participant observation, archival and participatory methods.
The event will be followed by a drinks and nibbles reception to enable students to network with others engaged in fieldwork.
The workshop is open to students from across King’s who are planning to undertake fieldwork involving human participants. It may also be relevant to students undertaking prolonged archival research that requires a period of residency outside of their home environment. Registration is required. Space is limited so please only register if you can commit to attending both sessions.
The event is taking place in FWB 1.17, on the Waterloo campus.
SCHEDULE
14.05: Welcome from Dr Portia Roelofs, Lecturer in Politics and convenor of the Global South Research Group, DPE, KCL
14.10 - 15.30: Session 1: Reflections on PhD fieldwork:
Speakers:
Marypaz Ventura Arrieta, PhD Candidate, DPE, KCL
Dr Claire Crawford, Visiting Fellow, DPE, KCL (KCL alumnus)
Mehdi Shakarchi, PhD Candidate, Dep. of International Relations, LSE (KCL alumnus)
15.30 - 16.00: Coffee break
16.00 - 17.30: Session 2: Reflections on fieldwork from KCL staff
Speakers:
Dr Kieran Mitton - Reader in Conflict Security and Development, War Studies, KCL
Dr Rishita Nandagiri - Lecturer in Global Health & Social Medicine, KCL
Professor Jeroen Gunning - Professor of Middle East Politics and Conflict Studies, DPE, KCL
Location
Franklin Wilkins Building, room 1.17, SE1 9NH