De onaangepaste veldwerker

The Unadjusted Fieldworker

For a researcher, fieldwork is usually not only a confrontation with another world, but also with one’s own ‘unadjusted’ behavior in this world. Fieldworkers often focus their research on the way in which everyday life takes shape and meaning in societies, or are interested in everyday matters from a different angle. The lack of experiential knowledge and, sometimes, adaptability means that they do not always observe all requested or required standards of behavior in everyday situations. The unadjusted behavior that results from this can lead to hilarity or discomfort, and have all kinds of other consequences. At the same time, it can have an important function by revealing something of the world that lies behind the daily routines and habits of respondents. This essay elaborates on this issue on the basis of a fieldwork experience in a crime-stricken neighborhood of Guatemala City.