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Fieldwork
What is fieldwork?
Fieldwork is the process of collecting firsthand data and insights by directly engaging with people, places, or communities in their settings.
Fieldwork as an academic methodology has been central to cultural anthropology since the early 20th century, marking a shift from armchair theorizing to immersive, on-the-ground research. In the study of arts and culture, fieldwork became a vital method for exploring creative practices not just as aesthetic objects or abstract rituals, but as lived, social, and performative experiences. Scholars of cultural studies, ethnomusicology, dance, visual art, and crafts increasingly embraced embodied approaches, collaborating with creative practitioners and artists, participating in practice, and tracing the social life of cultural and artistic expressions. This hands-on, immersive methodology continues to shape how we understand the role of art and culture in everyday life.
Fieldwork in Rajasthan
सूनियो कहियो रे, लिखिये न जमें
What is heard and spoken lives on, what is written may not survive.
Fieldwork in the context of Rajasthan plays a crucial role in uncovering the rich layers of its cultural, artistic, and social life. As a region known for its hereditary traditions, diverse communities, and historical legacies, Rajasthan cannot be fully understood through texts or archives alone.
Fieldwork allows researchers and artists to engage directly with vernacular knowledge systems, observe living practices, and build relationships with practitioners of music, dance, craft, and oral storytelling. It creates space for participatory observation, collaborative learning, and the documentation of intangible heritage that is often fluid and transmitted through lived experience. In Rajasthan, fieldwork is not just a method—it's a respectful and immersive process of listening, witnessing, and co-creating with communities who carry forward centuries-old cultural practices in contemporary ways.
Doing fieldwork for us includes
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Participant Observation: Living within the community, observing and joining daily activities.
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Interviews: Structured or informal conversations to gather stories, insights, and perspectives.
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Focus Group Discussions: Group dialogues to explore shared views and cultural dynamics.
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Life Histories & Oral Narratives: Documenting personal stories to understand lived experience.
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Genealogies & Social Mapping: Tracing social, familial, or spatial networks.
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Fieldnotes & Journaling: Writing detailed observations and reflections.
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Audio-Visual Documentation: Capturing practices through photos, audio, and video.
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Surveys & Questionnaires: Collecting data from larger groups for analysis.
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Artifact & Material Culture Analysis: Studying objects to uncover cultural meaning.
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Participatory & Collaborative Methods: Working with community members as co-researchers.
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(Co-)Curation: Turning collected data into activities, products, or livelihood-supporting initiatives that sustain cultural practice.