Fieldwork in the Mendip Hills

I have always loved upland landscapes. Perhaps that comes from growing up in Scotland and holidaying in the wild places of the West Highlands. As a student I did my first archaeological survey work on Exmoor with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, and found myself tramping across the open moor surveying everything from prehistoric cists to a post-medieval gatepost factory. The experience I gained during that time shaped my future career. It also opened my eyes to the archaeology which surrounds us, and made me view landscape in a completely different way.

 
In 2006 I was fortunate enough to take charge of the English Heritage Mendip Hills project, a multi-disciplinary fieldwork project examining the archaeology and architecture of this remarkable corner of South-West England. The Mendip Hills are perhaps best known for the spectacular chasm of Cheddar Gorge which slices through the southern escarpment of this gently undulating Carboniferous Limestone ridge. Mendip is a region of great beauty and diversity. The small irregular fields which characterise the lower escarpment slopes give way to an ordered geometric grid of stone-walled enclosures on the plateau, with grass and heather moors capping the highest hills.

Looking west along the southern escarpment of the Mendip Hills: the Carboniferous Limestone ridge rises abruptly from the flatness of the Levels and Moors.

Looking west along the southern escarpment of the Mendip Hills: the Carboniferous Limestone ridge rises abruptly from the flatness of the Levels and Moors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The archaeology and architecture of the region is equally as varied and remarkable. During three years of fieldwork I had the opportunity to survey a wide range of sites, including Neolithic long barrows, Later Prehistoric hillforts, Romano-British settlements, medieval castles, post-medieval village houses and abandoned farmsteads. And the list goes on! What is striking to me, however, is that the dominant story which has emerged from our work is one of adaptation and change. The landscape of Mendip has been fashioned over many generations and is a product of its past. The modern fields, for example, often follow the same pattern as abandoned terraces of medieval strip fields, which themselves can overly and incorporate elements of earlier field systems. Many village houses also reflect the footprint of much earlier structures, encapsulating the past in the present and creating a historic grain still visible today.

 
The Mendip Hills are a living place and the people who now occupy the farmhouses, village houses and cottages create their own history. There is a long and vibrant tradition of archaeological enquiry on Mendip, ranging from antiquarian investigation undertaken by the likes of the Revd John Skinner, to the work of independent groups and professionals in more recent times. A key aspect of the Mendip Hills project was to deliver a training programme for local community groups and individuals focused on practical techniques of archaeological and architectural fieldwork. By passing our expertise on to others, we hoped to equip local people with the range of skills required to enable this fieldwork tradition to continue on Mendip for many years to come.

Discussing the interpretation and recording of the earthwork remains of a building at Ramspits, Westbury-sub-Mendip, during an English Heritage training event.

Discussing the interpretation and recording of the earthwork remains of a building at Ramspits, Westbury-sub-Mendip, during an English Heritage training event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Delivering training can be a hugely rewarding experience. You meet enthusiastic and interesting people who can often make you view even a familiar site in a new way. Over the lifetime of the project I was part of an experienced team who provided training in techniques of landscape investigation, including aerial photographic transcription, analytical earthwork survey, architectural investigation, geophysical survey and archaeological excavation. Beyond the structured training events, a number of local people and students also gave their time generously to help on site with survey work (often on cold, damp Mendip winter days!). The project benefitted hugely from their input as without fail they generously imparted their ideas, personal research and local knowledge. An added benefit to come from the training events was that they brought members of different local archaeological and historical societies together, giving them the opportunity to discuss their current research and fieldwork.

The results of the English Heritage fieldwork project will be published on the 15th July in a book entitled The Historic Landscape of the Mendip Hills.

The results of the English Heritage fieldwork project will be published on the 15th July in a book entitled The Historic Landscape of the Mendip Hills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I am pleased to report that fieldwork on Mendip continues to this day. Hopefully the project has helped focus and stimulate research, and given local people the skills and confidence to undertake fieldwork of their own. Ultimately it will be the amazing archaeology and fascinating buildings of Mendip that will continue to drive people to undertake new and exciting fieldwork in the future.

 

Elaine Jamieson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About today’s blogger: Ms Elaine Jamieson
Job Title:
Research Assistant

Areas of Interest:

  • Inter-disciplinary approaches to landscape archaeology.
  • Analytical earthwork survey and investigation.
  • The archaeology of medieval and post-medieval monuments and landscapes.

Key facts:
Elaine Jamieson is a Research Assistant working on The Leverhulm Trust funded project Extending Histories: from Medieval Mottes to Prehistoric Round Mounds. Her work is mainly focussed on the assessment of monuments at a landscape scale and the more detailed analytical earthwork survey of sites and monuments, working as part of an inter-disciplinary research team.
Elaine worked as an Archaeological Investigator with English Heritage for over 14 years, specialising in analytical earthwork survey and landscape investigation, latterly managing a small team of archaeological and architectural investigators. Prior to English Heritage, she worked for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland on their Historic Landuse Assessment project, aimed at characterising the Scottish landscape. During her time with English Heritage Elaine was involved in several large landscape projects, including on the Quantock Hills, Dartmoor and Stonehenge. She has also undertaken applied research on a wide variety of archaeological sites, ranging from the medieval settlement and post-medieval gardens at Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire, to the Neolithic henge of Priddy Circle 1, Somerset. Between 2006 and 2009 Elaine was responsible for the delivery of a major multi-disciplinary landscape project focused on the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and has authored the monograph of this work. More recently she has undertaken fieldwork at the Pleasance, Kenilworth, and was the project manager for the English Heritage Fieldscapes of England project, before joining the Department of Archaeology in 2015.

Queens of Meroe

At Easter I spent 2 weeks in North Sudan on a “busman’s holiday” on an archaeological project with Professor Anna Boozer of City University New York, and formerly a lecturer of Roman Colonialism here at the Archaeology department. I had worked with Anna at Amheida Egypt in 2013, and the original plan for the Easter holidays had been to go back there for another season of digging and recording at the domestic Egypto-Roman house. Sadly, but unsurprisingly given the political climate, we could not get a permit to work there this year, so Anna quickly organised an alternative season on her other project at Meroe – A Royal City of the Kingdom of Kush on the east bank of the river Nile, 4 hours drive North of Khartoum. This project had been conceived by the University of Reading Internationalisation Team, with collaboration with the University of Khartoum.

A meal at the dig house1

A meal at the dig house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The aim of the Meroe Archival Project, as it is known, is to record artefacts (and for me, to draw them) excavated by the late Peter Shinnie, in the latter half of the 20th century. He published many of his excavations, but being very prolific in excavating, he did not publish everything. Anna is keen to excavate there herself, but feels she must first record and publish what she can from Shinnie’s backlog. Other archaeological teams have been excavating there extensively over the years too, and it all comes across as rather ad hock. Anna is also looking at Meroe on behalf of UNESCO. The artefacts reside in both a crumbling old dig house at Meroe, where we worked and resided for 5 days, on the edge of the Royal City itself, and also at the Khartoum Archaeological Museum.

Mozzie nets in the bedroom

Mozzie nets in the bedroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I had a long journey via Doha where I arrived in the middle of the night with 7 hours to wait for my connection to Khartoum, and chatted to 2 interesting shop assistants, a young man from the Philippines, and a young woman from China minding a shop selling $20,000 Chanel watches (yes I tried one on, and it didn’t suit me), who wanted to know about dating (non-archaeological dating) in the UK; who pays for dinner, the man or the woman (in China it is always the man), and we discussed gender issues in general. I had been in the thick of editing the Gender and Fieldwork videos for the last couple of weeks so it was a hot topic for me.

Anna and the altar

Anna and the altar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
So now I come to the point of why I offered to write a Gender and Fieldwork blog post about this trip. Our team comprised of 5 women. Anna and Liz (Americans) recording small finds, Angela (Italian), also a small finds specialist and specialising in faience, Hannah, a Sudanese student placement learning a variety of tasks and worth her weight in gold for her translation skills, and myself, drawing what was put in front of me. The stereotype is that finds specialists are more often than not, female. Our Sudanese student happened to be female but we didn’t know who we were getting, and last year it was a young man. I doubt that there was any deliberate selection of an all-female team by Anna, other than for logistical (room sharing) reasons, but essentially the team comprised of 4 friends who had worked together on numerous occasions and were not only a known quantity professionally, but a guaranteed fun social mix. We are all multi-skilled archaeological fieldworkers as well as finds specialists.

Hannah the student

Hannah the student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I have never worked on an all-female team before. I grew up the daughter of a scout leader and spent every summer holiday from 6 months old to 16 being the only girl amongst a group of 20 or so boys. I was consequently very competitive and determined to be faster at the assault course than the lot of them, and quite a tomboy. Our Meroe project consisted of like-minded, independent no-nonsense, shisha smoking, adventurous women, amongst whom there was a lot of support, both work wise and personally. In particular, I felt very much cared for as I developed a horrendous cold within hours of arriving at the Meroe dig house, which within a week developed into sinusitis. I was given a constant supply of vitamins and drugs, Carcady tea, fresh lemon and sugar, cough sweets, and finally a course of antibiotics by my kind nurses as I drew finds with tissues stuffed up my nose for fear of dripping on my drawings. We worked seriously hard during the day to record as many finds of the categories that Anna aims to publish this year and at mealtimes and in the evening we laughed a lot about absurd things and talked about archaeology (of course) but also about cats, weddings and hair! I observed this with the Gender stereotype in the forefront of my mind, with some amusement. Well, we all own cats, Anna is getting married in a few months time and is in the midst of planning, and people always talk about hair when I’m around. We also met up with a few interesting ex-pats working on humanitarian and environmental projects, all of whom happened to be men. At these gatherings we gossiped about functions at the various Embassies, discussed the virtues of a good whisky, and talked about our work.

Me and the pyramids

Me and the pyramids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am aware how little I have talked about the work, or Sudan or the archaeology in this blog, but I fear I have already written 1000 words, so the rest will have to be described in photographs. I will just end by saying that the best thing about Sudan is the people. They are so friendly and welcoming to foreigners. They don’t get many foreign visitors and look at you with friendly curiosity. Sudanese women seem to have equality. We met many women working in quite senior roles at the museum, and female university students, but needless to say, the head of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage is not a woman. In Meroe however, women were powerful rulers: Wikipedia says: Candace of Meroë is a legendary queen of the Kingdom of Kush and Queen of Nubia. The legend says that she defeated Alexander the Great when he tried to conquer territories south of Egypt. Another story claims that Alexander and Candace had a romantic encounter.” Perhaps there is some confusion with 2 other Romano- North-African characters, but then, us girls love a bit of historical romance…? !

 

Sarah_Lucas_1513_wA bit about today’s blogger: Sarah Lambert-Gates

Sarah has worked in graphics and archaeological illustration for 16 years, and started her career as a field archaeologist. She teaches Illustration of artefacts on a Part 2 Archaeology module; Techniques in Artefact Interpretation, and Archaeological Graphics for Masters students. She has also worked as a supervisor at the Silchester Town Life Project since1998.

Sarah has worked full time for the University of Reading since September 2011. Prior to this, she worked for Oxford Archaeology, starting as a field archaeologist, and culminating as the Senior Illustrator for a busy Graphics office. During this time she was lead illustrator in a number of large publications, including the Thames Through Time series (which was a finalist in the British Archaeological Book of the Year awards), and Under the Oracle.

My Fieldwork Experiences: From Reading to Reading.

My current position in the Archaeology Department involves being largely chained to a desk. However, in the preceding 12 years fieldwork was a daily reality for me as I worked for Commercial archaeological companies. I hope to outline some of the fieldwork experiences I have had below without it reading too much like a personal statement for a job application.

 

 
Like so many archaeologists plying their trade today, my first real experience of fieldwork was a training season at the Silchester Town Life Project in the summer of 1999. I had archaeology A-level and had carried out a couple of weeks digging at Colchester in 1997 so was not entirely new to the trowel, yet the 4 weeks spent in that field in Hampshire cemented in my mind that digging holes was something I was always going to do.

Silchester in 1999. Shallow.

Silchester in 1999. Shallow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On completing my undergraduate degree I began working with Oxford Archaeology, a company I was to work with for a further six years. It was with OA that I worked on a number of infrastructure projects such as the Channel tunnel rail link in Kent and the expansion of Heathrow with the construction of Terminal five.

 

Pete and me at Terminal Five……It was this nice.

Pete and me at Terminal Five……It was this nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Projects on the scale of an airport expansion can make you feel like a pretty small cog, with the huge amounts of machinery, noise and not to mention aircraft. It was also sometimes difficult to focus on the Bronze Age ditch I was digging when Concorde was taking off in the background. Every time I fly from Heathrow I reminisce about several of my trowels that lie forever buried beneath the concourse….
After seven or so years of commercial archaeology I realised that I should probably attempt working somewhere more exotic that required less high visibility clothing. The opportunity presented itself with the WF16 project at the magnificent Wadi Faynan in the Jordanian desert.

Standing on a high rock on the site at WF16 in Jordan.

Standing on a high rock on the site at WF16 in Jordan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was prepared as well as I could be with sun cream, mosquito repellent and multiple jabs, yet nothing could have prepared me for the incredible landscape and archaeology I was to experience. Excavating 10,000 year old mud walled structures surrounded by mountains, Bedouin tents and many, many goats was far removed from the world of commercial archaeology I’d temporarily left behind. It was an equally eye opening experience getting to know the local Bedouin workmen. Watching the moon rise over Wadi Ghuwayr while drinking tea with Ali and Abdullah is something I won’t forget in a hurry.

Making tea the Bedouin way in Wadi Hammam Jordan

Making tea the Bedouin way in Wadi Hammam Jordan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the next few years I participated in a project in Crete excavating a Late Minoan mountain top settlement at Karfi, a few weeks digging a Roman iron working site Austria and a five weeks of hellish northern French winter excavating an Iron Age settlement in Brittany. Subsequently I’ve also been involved with the Hebridean projects co-ordinated by Professor Steve Mithen, working on Islay, Mull and Gigha. The Mesolithic site at Rubha Port an t-Seilich on Islay, overlooking the sound to Jura is probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been let alone worked.

Packing up after a day digging on the mountain in Karfi Crete. We carried that lot down…

Packing up after a day digging on the mountain in Karfi Crete. We carried that lot down…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recording Mesolithic occupation on Mull.

Recording Mesolithic occupation on Mull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view from the site on Islay over to Jura.

The view from the site on Islay over to Jura.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Returning to the less glamourous world of commercial archaeology, the most challenging fieldwork project I co-ordinated was for the widening of the A11 in Suffolk. This was composed of numerous sites extending over 11km and was subject to strict deadlines. Despite the regularly stressful day to day of such a project I really enjoyed working with a talented team of archaeologists and responding to the often leftfield demands of the construction managers. Could I just move everyone from the carefully timetabled excavation areas to dig the bit they want to stick an oversized newt tunnel through….of course I can.

Excavating a late Medieval tile kiln in Hertfordshire.

Excavating a late Medieval tile kiln in Hertfordshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During my commercial career, Silchester was a permanent summer fixture (to the possible annoyance of my employers). Over the fifteen seasons I attended, supervised and finally co-ordinated I had the hugely rewarding task of teaching students and volunteers the techniques of excavation and recording. Witnessing people who were so shy they could barely speak develop confidence over a few weeks to work as part of the team was always amazing as was witnessing students eventually returning as staff member and passing on their learning. Seeing the trench I cumulatively spent the best part of two years in backfilled last summer was a very strange experience.
And now I find myself back in the Archaeology department working for the very project that kick started the whole process. In a few months I embark on a new phase of excavation at Pond farm, just outside Silchester and with knowledge of what’s gone before await the trials, tribulations and (fingers crossed) excitements to come.

 

NickPankhurst_wA bit about today’s blogger:  Nick Pankhurst

Nick works as Project Assistant for Silchester Town Life project, combining overall site supervision for the field school and post-excavation analysis of the late Iron Age and Early Roman stratigraphy. He has participated in the field school since his first year as a Reading undergraduate in 1999 and as staff member since 2001.

Prior to his current role, Nick worked for 12 years with commercial archaeological units in Oxford and Cambridge. During this time he co-ordinated numerous rural and urban excavations including projects such as Heathrow Terminal 5, the A11 widening in Suffolk and in Winchester, Cirencester and Oxford. He has also supervised on research projects in Jordan, Crete and Austria and worked on excavations in the Hebrides and northern France.

 

‘Time to burst the bubble?’ Fieldwork in Nairobi-By Dennis Mailu

My research delves into water and its governance in an urban poor context, investigating the informal settlement of Kibera in Nairobi Kenya. There has been very limited understanding of the cultural value of water and their governance by communities living in very informal urban settlements in the world. I completed my last of two fieldwork phases and I must say it has been
thrilling!

Recanting the thoughts of my trips, I consider it to be one of my most inspirational experiences. The idea sparked with trying to understand part of my own people, yet as a citizen of Kenya, I was yet to embark into the unknown. Kibera or ‘Kibra’, meaning outskirts of the forest, as the original Nubian settlers named it, is a place that has a negative perception and feared by most outsiders, since its inception in precolonial era of the growth of the Kenya-Uganda railway in the late 1800s’. Now about 50 years later post independence, I began my trip with zeal to gain a further understanding of this unknown, first by identifying relevant contacts to start my research and also approach the community and this is where I met, Bernard, a resident and community worker in Kibera who was eager to assist me with networking. I have been able to conduct a number of in-depth interviews and focus groups which has been smooth sailing.

And the results opened my eyes! After reading tons of papers and watching media on the largest urban ‘slum’ in Africa, nothing could have prepared me to witness how poverty stricken the people’s livelihoods are, living under a dollar a day with limited access to water and sanitation, as if living in a different world to the rest of city.

Kibera at a glance

Kibera at a glance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore, women and water cannot be disassociated when you step into this realm. Water collection for household use (cleaning, laundering, cooking and bathing) is mainly carried out by women. However, there is an aspect that denotes a lack of gender equality and a traditional approach. An interviewee states: “ It is the responsibility of the woman to fetch water…They (men) say that their job is to go for work and the women to fetch water. Even if the woman has work or is tired she will still fetch the water”. A change in beliefs and norms should see a shift in the role of women in water resources, due to their daily interaction with the resource, from the practical to management aspect.

Deplorable sanitation conditions in Kibera

Deplorable sanitation conditions in Kibera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the difficulties posed, it is in this same “eyesore” that is Kibera, where inspiration for hope emanates, hope in despair, that is not shared with the rest of the city. A sense of belonging, multicultural and historical heritage seems to challenge the impossible. A much refreshing change as ethnic-related conflict after the general election in 2007, posed a big threat to Kibra’s existence. Community based organisations and NGOs flourish to ensure access,quantity and quality of water and the surrounding environs is present, vital tools under which the community manages its water and sanitation. Kibera is their home, and in the constant struggle and through their action, is the underlying plea of help.

Ushirika wa Usafi (Fellowship for cleanliness) ,community led, provides residents with water, bathing and toilet facilities at an affordable rate.

Ushirika wa Usafi (Fellowship for
cleanliness) ,community led, provides
residents with water, bathing and toilet
facilities at an affordable rate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Youth and local residents cleaning up in Laini Saba village.

Youth and local residents cleaning up
in Laini Saba village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving Kibera every early evening, I would experience the dichotomy clearly present within the city in Nairobi. Feeling elated that amidst all the hardships there is a voice amongst the poor, a voice that leads researchers such as myself to pen and tell a tale, and a voice that has resonated in forthcoming outside assistance of new slum upgrading projects and programs to create a new face for Kibera. A powerful message to all that it is indeed time to “burst the bubble”.

The Kenyan government is currently undertaking slum upgrading in Kibera.

The Kenyan government is currently
undertaking slum upgrading in Kibera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About today’s blogger:

DenisDennis Mailu is a PhD student at the University of Reading exploring urban ecosystem governance. Dennis is supervised by Professor Emily Boyd and Dr. Giuseppe Feola. He is a member of the SAGES Human and Environmental Group as well as the SAGES Resilience lab.

Some Thoughts on Fieldwork…….

My first real experience of qualitative fieldwork was for my undergraduate dissertation; while the content analysis of the newspapers went fine, I felt that the interview I conducted was fairly terrible. Although I had my questions answered I remember how uncomfortable I felt and how clunky it all sounded. In fairness, I had only done physical geography methods on my course but this experience made me retreat from human interaction in my MSc dissertation where I opted to hang out in a cemetery archive, which had the dual merits of being air-conditioned (it was a hot summer) and the dead people didn’t speak back.

From issues of class in death…

From issues of class in death…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since those early days I’ve got a lot more confident with interviewing people and this is now my preferred technique. I think what made it easier was the realisation that this was just a conversation, albeit one where you had certain things you wanted to find out; in addition, people tend to respond pretty well to interest being shown in them/their company/their ideas so in general you actually have a receptive participant. Although since people choose whether to be interviewed by you there is clearly significant self-selection with some perhaps very interesting people opting out. I really enjoy speaking with people and listening to their perspectives and experiences but developing that sense of rapport isn’t always so straightforward.

…to ethics, power relations and justice in the wine industry

…to ethics, power relations and justice in the wine industry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I’m amazed at the way things come out my mouth with the phrasing just making it sound like I don’t really have a clue; other times its effortless and the conversation just flows. Sometimes it takes a while for both the interviewee and I to warm up; other times they talk for 15 minutes from the first question (at times covering other questions on my list, sometimes just rambling but breathing in unexpected places a la Thatcher, which makes it hard to anticipate how to interrupt their flow). From my experience, rapport is generally strengthened by being prepared both in terms of knowledge (although willing to expose the areas that you are less familiar with) and questions (as its easy to disappear down a tangent particularly with the verbose respondents). Furthermore, just demonstrating your general enthusiasm and particular interest in them and what they have to say is a great foundation for encouraging people to speak from their own experience and share stories with you.

In South Africa, the direct interviewee-interviewer is disrupted as I don’t speak Afrikaans so this adds to the challenge of developing rapport as how can you do it when you don’t speak the language? However, after my rather naive experiences last time of speaking through the farm managers when I needed to speak to some of the workers, this time I’m working with an excellent, experienced and independent Afrikaans translator and research facilitator. She has a lovely presence and is passionate about ethical and sustainable trade so is a great colleague to have but in the focus groups we’ve run with farmworkers, I feel even more of an outsider and as if I’m observing the process.

 
In an effort to overcome this and embed myself, at least initially, I’ve learnt a few sentences so that I can introduce myself:

 
Haai, my naam is Agatha en ek kom van die UK. Ek is ‘n navorser en ek is geinteresseerd in Fairtrade en wijn. Ek is jammer maar ek praat nie Afrikaans, maar my kollega doen!

Everyone seems very pleased that I’ve made the effort and congratulates me on my pronunciation and the fact that they can understand what I’m saying! I think it disrupts the power balance a little as it makes me feel a little exposed (particularly when I forget certain words) while also demonstrating my interest in hearing what the farmworkers have to say in their own language. It’s interesting as sometimes I can follow conversations (there is a close enough similarity to German in a number of words) but the dynamic of asking questions also feels odd, as I feel almost as if I’m intruding in someone else’s project! They could run perfectly fine without my presence, which also feels odd as I’m used to doing research by myself. The focus groups have definitely worked well and its been useful in giving me insights into how to run them and how to encourage participation. They have also highlighted the power relations inherent to any research process and, for me, encouraged me to consider ways to try and disrupt these.

Working in the vineyards (taken by a South African farmworker as part of a photo elicitation exercise)

Working in the vineyards (taken by a South African farmworker as part of a photo elicitation exercise)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other thing I’ve been reflecting on in relation to fieldwork has been clothing – what should I wear? I carefully packed a smart-ish skirt and a selection of smarter tops, which I mainly haven’t worn. I have mostly done interviews in shorts, sandals and one of my smarter looking vest tops as firstly its been far too hot and, secondly, I just feel more comfortable. People mostly seem to dress more casually and so I felt that it was better that I don’t appear too different in terms of how I dress, plus if I’m feeling more comfortable and relaxed that will reflect in my interviewing style and, hopefully, a better chance of developing rapport. Plus, when speaking with the farmworkers they have mostly been in their work-wear of blue overalls monogrammed with the company logo, heavy footwear and monogrammed caps. I am already clearly an outsider but by wearing my normal clothes I hoped to avoid too formal an atmosphere, which could arguably put off people from speaking particularly if they weren’t used to being in a focus group or being interviewed.

 
Before I arrived I had a sort of expectation of how I should dress and act in a ‘professional’ manner and, while this is sometimes part of my persona, I think in general research goes more smoothly when you are more relaxed as this is more conducive to allowing enthusiasm and interest to shine through; for me anyway. There are obviously a whole host of other factors that have and are shaping my fieldwork experiences in this particular context including, amongst others, gender, race, age and nationality but for some reason clothing and trying to develop rapport in a foreign language have been at the top of my mind.

About today’s blogger – Agatha Herman

agatha and jeremy-17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agatha is a human geographer with interests in geographies of ethics and justice. In particular her research explores the role and impacts of socio-economic and environmental ethics in production systems and spaces. She currently holds a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in which she is investigating the capacity of Fairtrade to promote resilient and ethical development within and beyond its producer communities. Building on her PhD research, this focuses on the Fairtrade wine sector and will involve fieldwork in South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Tunisia and Germany.

Agatha will also be returning as a Visiting Scholar at the Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki in 2015 to develop her current research project ‘Negotiating Resilient Production’. In this she explores the interactions between social, economic and environmental imperatives within farmers’ decision-making in a multi-sited study across Finland and the UK.

In addition, Agatha has interests in social transitions, particularly exploring the experiences of those leaving the military and the spatial and social impacts that this has on individuals. This develops ideas around identity, care, social responsibility and spaces/relations of power.

Agatha has a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Exeter as well as an MSc in Society and Space and BSc (Hons) in Geography from the University of Bristol. Prior to joining the University of Reading in September 2013, she held a lectureship in Human Geography at Plymouth University. She has also conducted postdoctoral research on spaces of postsecular engagement in European cities at the University of Groningen (2010) and the impacts of the economic recession on charity shops at the University of the West of England (2011).

Fieldwork in cold places: dress for success (or at least for survival) – Part 2 by Steve Gurney

Last time I covered the basic rules for surviving fieldwork in the cold. This time I will talk specifically about the layers that make up a versatile cold weather clothing system.

Base Layer

No cotton, remember that? Polypropylene (e.g. Helly Hansen ‘Lifa’) or merino wool (e.g. Icebreaker) base layers are ideal. You want it close fitting so that it wicks moisture (sweat) away from your skin. A long sleeve top and long-johns (aka ‘thermal legs’) are ideal and form your first line of defence against the cold.

Mid-layer
A lightweight fleece jumper is ideal, with a good deep neck zip for ventilation. A serious woollen jumper (like a Shetland or an Icelandic) is a good alternative, but will be more expensive. Fleece is hard-wearing, breathable and cheap. It can also keep you warm even when it is damp. What it is not, however, is windproof (usually, there are fleeces with a membrane which are). In extremely cold conditions I add a fleece vest (sleeveless jacket) over the jumper, so in effect, I have two mid-layers.

Windproof-layer
Over your mid-layer, especially in areas exposed to the wind, a windproof but breathable layer is needed (don’t confuse this with a waterproof layer). Ideally this will take the form of a zip-fronted jacket (which is easy to ventilate) with a hood and pockets (for storing, hats, gloves etc). A windproof provides vital protection from the wind (which standard fleece jackets do not), and importantly breathes. A so-called ‘soft shell’ jacket is ideal here (using a breathable but windproof fabric like ‘Polartec Windbloc’). These are particularly good because they can also shrug off light showers. In sub-zero conditions they can also act as an outer shell, since they can shrug off snow even better.

The term ‘soft shell’ it was coined by the clothing company Patagonia, although the concept was not new. The best have a hood because if it rains and you don’t have a hood you’ll just reach for your waterproof jacket. In warmer conditions, or when I am working hard, I wear a soft shell jacket straight over my base-layer. If I stop working (e.g. stop carrying that survey kit up the hill), I add a mid-layer underneath the jacket. This means that you always have an accessible full font zip for ventilation and a hood if it gets colder or a light shower comes on.

For the legs
In very cold conditions fleece salopettes (‘bib and brace’ style trousers) which eliminate that gap in clothing that can occur at the waist, are perfect, as are insulated ‘ski pants’. If it is not so cold, then a pair of soft shell trousers (or just any non-cotton walking trousers) over your thermal legs may be adequate.

Waterproofs (‘Hard Shell’)
A jacket with hood and a pair of trousers (over-trousers) made of a waterproof, but breathable fabric (see discussion below). If you get wet, you will get cold. Most hypothermia fatalities in the mountains have wet clothing (they are also exhausted and have run out of food). You should not wear your waterproof unless it is raining, however. The reason is that, whatever the manufacturer claims about breathability, you will build up moisture inside the garment, especially if you exercise, and this will reduce the insulation properties of the garments beneath. You will end up cold and clammy.

If you add a waterproof layer (because it has just started chucking it down), but keep up the same level of exercise, you will quickly overheat, sweat, become damp and ultimately get cold. So always strip off a layer before you don a hard shell, unless you are stopping for a break.

If you don’t understand what the deal is with waterproof/breathable fabrics, here is a brief primer. As with a lot of products, it was a discovery, not an invention. An engineer was experimenting with PTFE (better known by the trade name ‘Teflon’ – the non-stick pan stuff) and realised that expanded PTFE (ePTFE) was an extremely thin membrane full of microscopic holes of a size that were too small to allow liquid water through, but big enough to allow water vapour out. It was delicate, so it had to be sandwiched between an outer (face) fabric and an inner (liner) fabric to creating a three-layer waterproof/breathable cloth. First generation Gore-Tex was very expensive and the membrane got clogged resulting in a loss of breathability and (in some jackets at least) a rather special smell. Modern Gore-Tex is really excellent, but there are alternatives (e.g. eVent, H2No, Neoshell, Omnidry, NanoPro and more) some of which may suit you/your fieldwork activities better, but that topic is a whole other blog.

Insulation (for very cold conditions)
If it is very cold, put a serious insulating layer over your double mid-layer (or even over a softshell jacket). The most popular are down-filled ‘duvet’ jackets (e.g. Mountain Equipment, Rab, The North Face). These are largely designed for mountaineering and provide the greatest warmth for weight of any clothing. Drawbacks are that they are not cheap and MUST be kept dry (at all costs). An alternative is a jacket insulated with man-made fibre like ‘Primaloft’. These are not generally as warm, but do not lose all their insulating properties if they get wet and are generally a bit cheaper to buy.

Down duvet jacket (and a lined wool beanie), Svalbard, high arctic, at -18°C

Down duvet jacket (and a lined wool beanie), Svalbard, high arctic, at -18°C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hats
A fleece-lined merino wool beanie is my choice (warm, but not itchy on the scalp), but basically whatever works for you. In really cold conditions add another hat and/or pull up your hood. Whatever you have been told about the huge percentage of your body heat lost through your head, it was wrong. This ‘fact’ was based on flawed research conducted by the US military in the 1950s. Essentially, if your core is warm, a lightweight hat may be sufficient, if it covers the ears and if the wind-chill is not too great.

Gloves/Mitts
In very cold conditions wear a thin pair of gloves (e.g. wool or fleece) inside a thicker pair of mitts (e.g. fleece lined) with a water repellent outer. Take the mitts off to manipulate equipment, but leave the gloves on. Cold hands are painful to warm up again.

Neck gaiter, scarf or ’Buff’
Seal the gap at the neck. ‘Buffs’ are a very versatile tube of material than can be used as a scarf or hat or balaclava (warning, you may look a bit odd). ‘Polar’ buffs have a lower half composed of fleece and I often use one these.

Socks
Wool-based socks are generally best. How thick depends on the footwear. Lightweight boots need lightweight socks, heavy boots, heavy socks. When working in caves I wear ‘wet socks’ (socks made out of wet suit material – usually 3 mm neoprene) underneath thick wool socks, because you know you will get wet feet. The wet socks trap a layer of water next to your feet which warms up. Normal socks allow water to circulate constantly meaning your body heat just flows away.

Footwear

May well be dictated by the terrain. You might need walking boots or mountaineering boots capable of taking crampons (e.g. for glacier work). Gaiters seal the deal by keeping out water or snow. Wellies might be the ticket if you are working in wetlands or in excavations where water collects or when in caves (see above).

Soft shell trousers, gaiters and mountaineering boots with crampons

Soft shell trousers, gaiters and mountaineering boots with crampons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you lace up your boots up too tight you will reduce blood circulation and get cold feet. Crampon straps can have the same effect and these horrible metal spikes also conduct heat out of your boots as well.
Right, now you know it, so get out there!

Fieldwork in cold places: dress for success (or at least for survival) – Part 1

I have undertaken fieldwork in some pretty cold places over the years (e.g. Canada, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Siberia) and I have learnt a lot in the process. If you are planning fieldwork and you think it might be cold, the following commentary may be of some use to you. That said, I have no doubt that those of you out there with experience will disagree with some (or all?) of what I will say. Clothing choices, after all, can be very personal. Páramo-girls* and Buffalo-boys** will be particularly irate about the comments I make in Part 2 of this blog, I suspect.

 

 
Firstly, when does it feel the coldest? I have felt coldest in temperatures between -5°C and +5°C. This may sound daft. Surely it is colder when the mercury drops below -5°C? Well, yes, it is colder, but it does not necessarily ‘feel’ colder. It is very complicated (you need to take into account the temperature, humidity and dew point), but essentially a damp-cold feels colder than a dry-cold. In very cold conditions a dry-cold is more likely, so it is colder, but does not feel colder. I remember conducting a topographic survey with a colleague in northern Finland many years ago, I was wearing five layers of clothing and I was still cold. I had to do shuttle runs after each survey leg just to warm up a bit. The air temperature was about +1°C. Below -25°C is serious frostbite territory and even if you don’t feel cold you can easily acquire cold injuries (frostnip and/or frostbite), but this is extreme and most people will not experience such cold.

 
Basic Rules
There is so no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing choices. So follow these rules:

 
1. Do not wear garments made from cotton when conducting fieldwork in cold climates. Especially do not wear them next to the skin. When cotton gets wet it loses all insulation value and, critically, it holds that moisture and chills the wearer. This is why many mountaineers and backpackers call it ‘killer-cotton’ and why jeans have long been banned on geography fieldclasses.

 
2. Dress in ‘layers’. The layer principle has been around for a long time and the general idea is that three thin layers are better than one thick one because air is trapped not only within the layers but between the layers (still air is the best insulator). Also three layers are more versatile than one (which is either ‘on’ or ‘off’), so you are more likely to achieve the right thermal balance between body/workload and environment.

 

3. Avoid sweating at all costs, as this is the key to remaining comfortable in the cold. The problem here is that most people wear too many clothes when outdoors in the cold, especially when working (carrying loads, digging snow pits, coring etc). You should wear the minimum. If you are warm enough when stationary, then you will be much too hot when moving/working. Constantly adjust your microclimate by ventilating/removing a layer or zipping up/adding a layer, as appropriate.

Fieldwork in the mountains of northern Norway. Cool and damp. Plenty of layers needed!

Fieldwork in the mountains of northern Norway. Cool and damp. Plenty of layers needed!

4. Following on from 3. above, you should add a layer when you stop moving/working and before you get cold. If you were wearing too much in the first place (you did not follow rule 3!), you will have been sweating and when you do cool down you will feel really cold.

 
5. Always keep key insulation items dry. This might mean not deploying certain clothing types if you are wet or the weather is wet. Putting on a jacket filled with goose down at a time when it is going to get soaking wet is a very bad idea. Down jackets are useless when they are wet, the down clumps together and all the dead air space is lost meaning they won’t keep you warm. They are best kept for sub-zero conditions or when you are stationary and under cover (e.g. in the mess tent at the end of a long day).

 
6. Always pack an emergency warm item (e.g. an extra mid-layer). I always carry a pullover made of a reasonably windproof material lined with synthetic insulation as an emergency spare in the bottom of my rucksack (in a waterproof stuff sac). This can be put on if you get really cold due to a change in weather or an enforced period of inactivity and can be used in wet or dry conditions.

 
7. Eat and drink regularly. The body can generate a lot of heat if it has the fuel to do so. Similarly, if you get dehydrated your temperature regulation system will falter.

 
That’s it for now. Next time I will deal with the ‘layers’ of a good cold weather clothing system and talk about fabrics and the like.

 

 

*Páramo offer waterproofs (and many other garments) that use a completely different technology from membrane-based Gore-Tex and the like. Many serious outdoor professionals use them because they are hard-wearing and the designs include ventilation options as standard (e.g. ‘pit’ zips). Don’t knock’em, unless you’ve tried’em.
**Buffalo Systems produce garments that have a fibre-pile (what we used pre-fleece) inner and a pertex outer, so they are both windproof and breathable. They are great garments (and have a strong following), although appear to promote an ‘anti-layer’ approach to keeping warm.

 

SteveGurney_wA bit about today’s blogger: Steve Gurney

Responsibilities:

  • Chair of SAGES Health & Safety Committee
  • Undergraduate Teaching: Geomorphology; Geographical Techniques; Physical Geography Field Class, Geomorphological
  • Hazards; Glacial & Periglacial Geomorphology.

 

 

 

Areas of Interest:

  • Periglacial and permafrost geomorphology and sedimentology
  • Glacial geomorphology and sedimentology
  • Nival geomorphology and hydrology
  • Quaternary mid-latitude permafrost and periglacial environments
  • The history of mountain glaciers since the Little Ice Age
  • Karst geomorphology and hydrology

The Okstindan Research Project has a Research Station (‘Okstindhytta’) located in the mountainous Okstindan area of northern Norway. The Project has been running for over 30 years and the station has provided a base for teaching and research for the whole of this period. Steve is currently the administrator of the station. Read more about Okstindan.

Dr Gurney also holds the position of ‘Docent in cold climate geomorphology’ at the University of Turku, Finland.

Survey of student experiences of fieldwork

Calling all 2nd and 3rd Year Undergraduates, and MA students! Do you feel like you made a difference in your summer fieldwork last year? Do you feel like you are a visible digger? The University of Manchester are undertaking a survey to find out the answers to these questions and more by examining UK student perceptions and experiences of archaeological fieldwork, and they need your help!

university-1

 

 

 
Please follow this link https://selectsurveys.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=ll0Inol1 to answer a few short questions. This will take you less than 5 minutes to complete. The survey is totally anonymous so feel free to be as honest as you like. The survey will stay open until Monday 9th March 2015.

 
This survey is being conducted by a team of students and staff from the University of Manchester, and is funded by the University of Manchester Learning through Research fund. If you want to hear more about what they find, their results will be presented at the CIfA conference and in a short publication which they hope to submit to the CIfA’s The Archaeologist Magazine. They will also be blogging about their project and presenting some of the findings on the project website https://visiblediggersmcr.wordpress.com/ so please do log on to find out more!

The Goals of this Project:

‘This project is led by students Matt Hitchcock, Stephanie McCulloch and Liya Walsh, along with lecturer Dr. Hannah Cobb, from the University of Manchester. We aim to capture the views of UK archaeology students surrounding their experiences of fieldwork. We want to find out whether students feel like they are valued in the field or whether they just feel like a ‘number’ or a ‘cog in the machine’. While a certain amount of direction is necessary, we aim to ascertain whether student are merely told about the theoretical direction of the excavation as it progresses, or whether they are given the theoretical tools necessary to make and contribute their own interpretations. This feedback will be used to highlight some of the current issues within archaeological pedagogy and offer some potential solutions.’

Fieldwork: developing skills for all careers

Unlike many of the contributors to this blog, fieldwork is not part of my job description. Not too long ago fieldwork was, however, a large part of my life. Nevertheless, fieldwork is never really far away, since I regularly update this blog with posts from staff and students, each reflecting on a wide range of fieldwork activities and experiences. In this blogpost, and taking inspiration from previous posts, I argue that fieldwork enables the development of skills for all careers.

 
I undertook fieldwork for my BSc in Environmental Geology – this included spending a month in Melmerby, Cumbria, creating a geological map of the area from surrounding rock exposures and abandoned quarries; my MSc in Geoarchaeology – in addition to fieldtrips I spent 2 weeks on Easter Island collecting soil samples to investigate garden agriculture; and for my PhD examining in situ preservation at Glastonbury Lake Village and a section of the Sweet Track, both in Somerset – this involved sediment analysis, and over 17 months I monitored the hydrology, water chemistry, conductivity, pH, redox potential and soil moisture levels at both sites. Whilst I have worked in the field both nationally and internationally, I have studied for all of these degrees here at Reading, moving between the Departments of Archaeology, Chemistry, and Geography and Environmental Science.

A manavai (semi-circular walled garden on Easter Island) containing taro plants

A manavai (semi-circular walled garden on Easter Island) containing taro plants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTUREAlthough I spend a large amount of my time based behind a desk, my love of geology remains, and can be seen in the rocks and fossils I use as paperweights. Getting back to the point of my blogpost – I believe that the skills and experiences I have gained/built on through fieldwork are all transferable, and I continue to use them every day.

 

Fieldwork develops skills for all career paths. For me, my fieldwork experiences have been very challenging, but also highly rewarding. Taking some examples from my time spent on Easter Island fieldwork:

Forced me out of my comfort zone
This is something Izabela Stacewicz discussed in her blog post. Travelling to one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world (on my own) was certainly a huge leap out of my comfort zone. There is no denying that stretching the boundaries of your comfort zone is challenging, but for me this was, and continues to be, an important part of moving forward and testing what is possible.

View looking out along the coastline of Easter Island and out into the surrounding Pacific Ocean

View looking out along the coastline of Easter Island and out into the surrounding Pacific Ocean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenged me
These range from comparatively small challenges, such as getting my soil samples through customs at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, in order to catch a collecting flight (I was lucky it only took 4 hours!) to the larger challenge of actually getting to Easter Island in the first place. In John Carson’s post he highlighted the importance of patience during fieldwork. I would also add that persistence is also important! For me this involved spending many weeks emailing researchers looking for someone who would help me design a project, gain permission to work on the Island, and ultimately offer guidance in the field while they undertook their research. My persistence was successful!

Examining the soil structure in a rock garden before taking a micromorphology sample

Examining the soil structure in a rock garden before taking a micromorphology sample

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steep learning curve
Fieldwork is not just about collecting samples. Analysing the samples to make sense of what you have collected/recorded in the field is also a crucial aspect of research. For me this involved learning/enhancing skills in particle size analysis, micromorphology, starch analysis, pollen analysis, phytolith analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Preparation for fieldwork, the work itself, subsequent laboratory analysis, and writing up the results, all require skills in multitasking, organisation, communication, and working both independently, and as part of a team. All of these skills are also applicable, and transferable, to jobs that do not include fieldwork.

 

 
New experiences
Fieldwork is often not all work. While I was on Easter Island I also took the opportunity to explore, and as a consequence I rode horseback across the Island, visited many of the amazing archaeological sites, including Rano Raraku (the moai statue quarry), a number of the ahu (platforms on which the moai were erected), and the ceremonial village of Orongo (famous for the birdman ceremony), and drank Pisco sours watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. These are memories and experiences I will never forget.

View looking out from Rano Raraku

View looking out from Rano Raraku

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahu Tongariki (this is the largest ahu on the island, and was restored in the 1990’s)

Ahu Tongariki (this is the largest ahu on the island, and was restored in the 1990’s)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A closer view of a moai

A closer view of a moai

 

Ultimately fieldwork is what you make of it. If I can offer one piece of advice: Go for it! You never know where the skills you gain will take you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LouiseJones_wA bit about today’s blogger: Dr Louise Jones
In addition to everything I have discussed in my blog post above, I am working with both the Athena Swan Self-Assessment team on the School’s Silver Award application, and the Gender and Fieldwork Working Group on the School’s yearlong project examining Gender and Fieldwork. If you would like to contribute towards the blog (we welcome blog posts from all staff and students, as well as suggestions about articles/news stories/other blogs etc), enter the fieldwork photograph competition (deadline 30th March 2015), or discover more about the conference examining ‘Perspectives on Gender and Fieldwork’ taking place on the 29th April 2015 then please get in touch. My email address is – l.a.jones@reading.ac.uk

Qualitative fieldwork in Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Ghana and the UK

In my experience, fieldwork is one of the most rewarding parts of the research process. My qualitative fieldwork with young people and families in Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal and Ghana as well as in the UK has enabled me to develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics and diversity of family life and the importance of reciprocity in caring relations and community support networks. I feel privileged to have been able to listen to people’s life stories, even if only for the duration of an in-depth interview. The personal connections that I made with people ‘in the field’ who helped to facilitate the research, such as those who helped to identify potential families to participate, those who provided interpretation and transcription of audio-recorded interviews and those who have welcomed me and provided somewhere to stay and share meals with during fieldwork, have often developed into lasting friendships. It is now much easier than when I did my PhD research with street children in Tanzania to remain in contact with friends, local facilitators and participants ‘in the field’ due to wider access to mobile phones and the internet.

 

Doing fieldwork demands flexibility in the times and places that research is conducted, especially when working in the global South, to fit in with participants’ caring responsibilities, schooling/ studies and livelihood activities. I can recall interviews conducted in the dark in a village in Senegal, writing notes with mosquitoes and moths fluttering against the torch, as the orphaned young man I interviewed lacked electricity and could not afford oil for a paraffin lamp; and chaotic focus groups and interviews conducted on the street in Tanzania, with some children disappearing when income-earning opportunities arose to carry someone’s shopping and others were high on glue. I have also travelled by charrette [horse/ donkey and cart] to meet participants in Senegal. While for me this was a novel way to arrive at an interview, it was sobering to learn that this was residents’ only means of transport to the nearest health facility over 7 kilometres away; such delays sometimes resulted in the deaths of pregnant women who had complications, as had sadly happened to the wife of one widower I interviewed.

Charette ride to an interview in Diourbel region, Senegal.

Charette ride to an interview in Diourbel region, Senegal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fieldwork may also pose ethical dilemmas for researchers, particularly when conducting research with families experiencing chronic poverty. The small expenses payment offered to participants at the end of interviews often seems inadequate in view of the basic needs and problems that interviewees have talked about. This was particularly evident in our recent research in Senegal (http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/deathinthefamilyinsenegal/), when Joséphine Wouango (http://www.reading.ac.uk/ges/about/staff/j-wouango.aspx) found that some young people asked directly for financial assistance to pay for school fees.

Leaving the ‘field’ and reverse culture shock can also be difficult for some researchers and maintaining links and friendships made in the field can help to address such experiences, as well as a way of ‘giving back’. I still sometimes receive texts in Kiswahili from one young participant I interviewed on two occasions in Dar es Salaam, referring to me as ‘sister’: ‘Shikamoo dada Ruth’! Returning to the field for dissemination and to share preliminary findings with participants is often an ethical requirement and can help participants to see how their experiences relate to those of others in similar situations which can be empowering.

Participatory feedback workshop with young people in Kampala, Uganda.

Participatory feedback workshop with young people in Kampala, Uganda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.reading.ac.uk/geographyandenvironmentalscience/Research/HER/ges-resassets.aspx

 

In researching ‘sensitive topics’ that involve the participant talking about intimate, difficult life experiences, such as in my research with people living with HIV, with young carers and with those who have experienced the death of a relative, fieldwork is often a very intense experience which demands considerable ’emotion work’ by researchers. I have found the cumulative effects of listening to numerous participants’ life stories emotionally draining and have sometimes felt isolated in the field, due to the need to ensure the confidentiality of information shared by participants. The emotional risks and potential harm to researchers, as well as appropriate institutional support, have only recently been acknowledged and appear to affect women researchers more than men, particularly those engaged in research on ‘sensitive topics’ (see Sampson et al., 2008 – http://soc.sagepub.com/content/42/5/919.abstract and Hubbard et al., 2001 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13645570116992#.VNUUfC4wCkM).

Meeting family members in Fatick region, Senegal

Meeting family members in Fatick region, Senegal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This highlights the importance of acknowledging our own emotions, being reflexive about the research process (as advocated in feminist research methodologies), and providing appropriate opportunities for debriefing and discussion of emotions. In our research in Senegal (http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/deathinthefamilyinsenegal/), we have adopted a reflexive approach to understand the multiple positionings of the research team, comprised of British, Senegalese and Burkinabé researchers and seek to interrogate our own cultural assumptions (see our recent conference paper – http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/probing-the-boundaries/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/evansddpaper.pdf). We also seek to ensure that the emotions involved in doing research are regarded as a shared responsibility of the team.
So, while celebrating the benefits and rewards associated with fieldwork, it is also important to recognise the physical and emotional demands that qualitative fieldwork can make on researchers and provide appropriate supervision and support for researchers, particularly for those doing sensitive research, within universities and other research environments.

 

REvans_2714-wA bit about today’s blogger: Ruth Evans (Associate Professor in GES)

Ruth’s research focuses on gendered and generational inequalities in access to resources, caring relations, and social vulnerabilities experienced by children, youth and families, particularly those affected by bereavement, chronic illness, HIV and disability. She recently completed a collaborative research project with colleagues at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana on Access to land, food security and the intergenerational transmission of poverty in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana (2012-14)  http://www.reading.ac.uk/geographyandenvironmentalscience/Research/HER/ges-RE-Ghana.aspx which you can watch a video about here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqZLmwkN3LM&feature=youtu.be. Recent research has focused on Inheritance, access to resources and family relations in Senegal (2011-12) and Palm Oil, Land Rights and Ecosystems Services in Liberia (2012-13) http://www.reading.ac.uk/geographyandenvironmentalscience/Research/HER/ges-inheritance-senegal.aspx.

Ruth also completed a study on stigma, gender and generational inequalities in asset inheritance and the intergenerational transmission of poverty in Tanzania and Uganda (with Caroline Day), funded by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (2010-11). Read more about the project here – http://www.reading.ac.uk/geographyandenvironmentalscience/Research/HER/ges-resassets.aspx. Ruth conducted a qualitative, participatory study of young people’s caring responsibilities for their siblings within child- and youth- headed households in Tanzania and Uganda, funded by the RGS-IBG and the University of Reading (2008 – 2010).