The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on Tanna
Using the metaphor of beach crossings made famous by ethno-historian Greg DENING (2004), in this article I reflect on my first experience of ethnographic fieldwork. In the article I document how, as a doctoral student investigating 19th century missionary activity, I transitioned from archival to fi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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FQS
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Forum: Qualitative Social Research |
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| Online Access: | https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/3836 |
| _version_ | 1818323378702909440 |
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| author | Ron Adams |
| author_facet | Ron Adams |
| author_sort | Ron Adams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Using the metaphor of beach crossings made famous by ethno-historian Greg DENING (2004), in this article I reflect on my first experience of ethnographic fieldwork. In the article I document how, as a doctoral student investigating 19th century missionary activity, I transitioned from archival to field-based research on the southern Vanuatu island of Tanna in 1975, completed my PhD two years later, and have continued to develop my relations with the Tannese to the present. I argue that this reflects, not only the notable capacity of the Tannese to embrace strangers, but also the extraordinary bond I forged with one "informant", David KAUKARE. I describe how more than any other person it was David, a primary school teacher at an isolated east coast village, who mediated my crossing into a society profoundly different from my own. In the article I explore how together we negotiated the crossings between our interconnecting and shifting worlds—sometimes mindfully, but more often than not serendipitously. In focusing on those initial encounters, I reflect on how prepared—and unprepared—we both were for the experience, and the impact it had on our sense of self and connection with the world. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T11:11:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-266c4884c75743c7926a578b53912280 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-5627 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T11:11:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | FQS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forum: Qualitative Social Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-266c4884c75743c7926a578b539122802022-12-21T23:48:43ZdeuFQSForum: Qualitative Social Research1438-56272022-01-0123110.17169/fqs-23.1.3836The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on TannaRon Adams0Victoria University MelbourneUsing the metaphor of beach crossings made famous by ethno-historian Greg DENING (2004), in this article I reflect on my first experience of ethnographic fieldwork. In the article I document how, as a doctoral student investigating 19th century missionary activity, I transitioned from archival to field-based research on the southern Vanuatu island of Tanna in 1975, completed my PhD two years later, and have continued to develop my relations with the Tannese to the present. I argue that this reflects, not only the notable capacity of the Tannese to embrace strangers, but also the extraordinary bond I forged with one "informant", David KAUKARE. I describe how more than any other person it was David, a primary school teacher at an isolated east coast village, who mediated my crossing into a society profoundly different from my own. In the article I explore how together we negotiated the crossings between our interconnecting and shifting worlds—sometimes mindfully, but more often than not serendipitously. In focusing on those initial encounters, I reflect on how prepared—and unprepared—we both were for the experience, and the impact it had on our sense of self and connection with the world.https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/3836TannaliminalityDavid KaukareJean Guiartethnographic encountersfieldwork |
| spellingShingle | Ron Adams The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on Tanna Forum: Qualitative Social Research Tanna liminality David Kaukare Jean Guiart ethnographic encounters fieldwork |
| title | The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on Tanna |
| title_full | The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on Tanna |
| title_fullStr | The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on Tanna |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on Tanna |
| title_short | The Ethnographer Unbared: Crossing Beaches of the Mind on Tanna |
| title_sort | ethnographer unbared crossing beaches of the mind on tanna |
| topic | Tanna liminality David Kaukare Jean Guiart ethnographic encounters fieldwork |
| url | https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/3836 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ronadams theethnographerunbaredcrossingbeachesofthemindontanna AT ronadams ethnographerunbaredcrossingbeachesofthemindontanna |