THE HABITUS OF FIELDWORK: THE SELF AS THE NEW OTHER

Katerina MARİNAKİ

doi:https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.592123

Article Details

THE HABITUS OF FIELDWORK: THE SELF AS THE NEW OTHER

Authors:

Katerina MARİNAKİ

Main Topics:

Sociology and anthropology

Journal:

IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences 2019 Vol.5 Issue 15, pp.1491-1499

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2020

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2000716637

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.592123

Abstract:

 


The present study is
an extensive 22-months field research in Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan. The case of
Bedouin Zalabieh adds another voice to this diverse anthropological research. Fieldwork
is a complicated and challenging process where the anthropologist experiences a
rite of passage through interaction with his/her informants. He/she is
transformed from a subject who conducts fieldwork to an object of his/her own
self striving for redefinition. Incorporating the habitus of the “others,” he/she
becomes an “other.” At the end of the fieldwork, he/she is confronted with
multiple “others”. With reference to Bedouin Customary Law, through a “thick description”
I try to focus on the habitus of my informants as something that cannot be
completely understood by the anthropologist, just because it belongs to a preconscious
state. A dialog between cultures, rites, concepts, and behaviors is essential
for the redefinition of the self during the research as well as thereafter.
Through the distinctive habitus of people, we coexist and share our lives while
unconsciously constructing new selves. While we study others, we become objects
to be studied; this entails an interactive study on each other. In addition,
focusing on the conflict between spouses, I emphasize the new forms of
practices and actions created by the interaction and coexistence of the
anthropologist and his/her informants. The silent conflict between spouses undermines
men’s supposed power over women. Exploiting my presence, the spouses challenged
the existing cultural assumption as well as my femininity. Since everything is
always a mutual definition and redefinition from a deontological point of view,
instead of the term “study” (a community) I prefer the term “mediate” that can
vacillate between the science of anthropology and the informants.

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Article Details

THE HABITUS OF FIELDWORK: THE SELF AS THE NEW OTHER

Authors: Katerina MARİNAKİ

Main Topics: Sociology and anthropology

Journal: IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences 2019 Vol.5 Issue 15, pp.1491-1499

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2020

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2000716637

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.592123

Issues

Authors:

Katerina MARİNAKİ

Main Topics:

Sociology and anthropology

Journal:

IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences 2019 Vol.5 Issue 15, pp.1491-1499

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2020

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2000716637

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.592123