» The struggles of being a researcher

The past few weeks have been very eventful. I have been meeting different people and associations in Villeneuve and I now got a voluntary workplace at a “Café associatif” in the “Centre des habitants” in la Villeneuve. It is a little café where you can drink a coffee in good company, try out the “plat de jour” or just meet people during cultural events and workshops. I have been enjoying spending time there, and apart from the fact that I get to speak a lot of French, I have been meeting very interesting people. In fact, it just seems to be a perfect way to get really involved and see things from a more inside point of view.

But there are also things that I am worrying about. Basically, people keep introducing me to new people and I have had many interesting conversations but I keep having the problem of not knowing at what point it was necessary to make it clear that I am going to do a research on Villeneuve. I have always vaguely mentioned it- sometimes more direct than others depending on the situation- but I was and still am hesitating because in the first place, I am looking for a way to meet French people and get involved somehow. This engagement is definitely not only as a researcher and I don’t want to be seen only as a researcher, as the main reason for it is my personal interest.

Apart from the ethical issues that have been in my mind, by spending three afternoons a week in Villeneuve I am starting to get to know the place and its people better and better. I feel really welcomed and there is a good spirit around. What I noticed most is that there are a lot of things going on: so many associations meeting, whether to spend time together or to discuss the renovation project, so many people thinking about ways to improve the place where they live in. An example is a workshop that makes children dream about their “quartier parfait” – a way to include even children –the future- in the planning for Villeneuve. All this time spending there is making me really excited for the new experiences that I am living in la Villeneuve.

Claire Eldridge says:

December 19, 2014 at 7:17 pm

I would echo what Lisa and Marion have said. It sounds like you have established good relationships and your involvement in this centre will have given you valuable insights as to which elements of local activity would be worth investigating further. I would also underline that personal engagement with your subject is no bad thing, at the very least it will help to motivate you.

Lisa Bernasek says:

December 17, 2014 at 3:37 pm

It is great to hear that you have started to become actively involved in the community in Villeneuve. Your concerns about your position as a researcher are perfectly normal – most ethnographers will have a personal interest in their topic and are motivated by more than ‘just’ research. It sounds like you have done the right thing by mentioning your research, and as you are an outsider people will want to know where you have come from and why you are there in any case. You will need to have formal consent for interviews, but try not to worry too much about it – you are forming the connections and relationships that will allow you to gain insights into the community and to identify participants to interview more formally.
As Marion says, make sure you are keeping notes on your time at the cafe and your interactions with people – this will help you identify themes to explore further.

Marion Demossier says:

December 17, 2014 at 12:37 pm

Hi Constanze,
This is the best way to start an ethnographic research project and through your ethnographic gaze, you must be able to identify an object worth your investigation and which will help you to focus. The workshop you mentioned seems a great project so maybe you need to approach the coordinators or other key actors and interview them in a more formal capacity. By the way have you fill in your ethics document? Another way of conducting your research might be to focus on the café as a window into the local community. You might want to approach the people you have met and explain to them what you are doing and ask them if they want to join your project and be interviewed. You know better than anybody else what might work or not. Make sure you keep a record of your observations in the cafe and of your other meetings.

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