Following the success of the 2010 “Anthropology Outreach”, the LSE Annual Fund has again in 2011 generously agreed to refund this student initiative. The aim of Anthropology Outreach, which offers eleven £800 grants for research projects, is to give Second Year students the opportunity to carry out 4-6 weeks of anthropological fieldwork, anywhere in the world and on their chosen subject. It thus aims to bridge the divide between undergraduate teaching and anthropological fieldwork.
The central component of the project consists of eleven fieldwork grants which are awarded on a competitive basis, and which allow students to carry out their individual fieldwork project. To prepare for this experience seven seminars were organized, focusing on research methodology, proposal writing, and preparing for fieldwork. After returning from their fieldwork the awardees document their findings and present them to students and staff from the LSE anthropology department, as well as anthropology departments across London. They also contribute to a collective photography exhibition.
Completed fieldwork projects in 2010 included:
• Antonia Savvides|: Ecotourism and identity among the Maasai in Kenya
• Joanna Bojczewska|: Pastoralism in Kyrgyzstan
• Steph Linsdale|: The Lepchas in West Bengal, India
• Sohninni Sanghvi|: Santhara ritual amongs Jains (India)
• Priscilla Yeung|: Naming practices and gender in rural Hong Kong
• Arabella Ciampi|: Alternative medical systems in Italy
• Megan Davis|: Tibetan life in Dharamsala, India
Tea picking in the Eastern Black Sea, Turkey. Photo: C.Scaramelli
A procession with gifts for the king, Himachal Pradesh, India. Photo: J. Bojczewska
Eligibility
All LSE students who enrolled in their second year of the BA/BSc Social Anthropology and BA Anthropology and Law in 2010/11, and interested in carrying out independent research projects during the summer period of 2011 were eligible for Anthropology Outreach 2011.
Research projects could be in any anthropological field, including applied anthropology and crossovers between law and anthropology. They could be mini research projects in their own right, or be designed as pilot studies intended to lead to larger (i.e. Ph.D.) projects.
Selected students committed to prepare for and participate in regular research methods seminars held in Lent Term and Summer Term 2011, to revise their research proposals before going to their respective fields, and to give presentations about their projects in a student workshop in Michaelmas Term 2011.
Selection
A selection committee consisting of one member of staff, one Ph.D. student and one third-year undergraduate student selected successful candidates on the basis of written research proposals of max. 2,000 words. The deadline for proposals was 25 March 2011.
Research proposals needed to include a clear indication and description of the following aspects:
-
the research topic (preferably based on, or linked to, academic coursework)
-
the project's anthropological and/or social relevance
-
the project's practical feasibility and the ethical issues involved
-
the envisioned methods of data collection and of subsequent analysis and reflection
-
already established contacts with a community partner or organization (when relevant)
-
a realistic budget
The selection committee judged proposals on the basis of these criteria, paying particular attention to quality, relevance, and feasibility.
Academic Outreach was designed by Joanna Bojczewska and is sponsored by the LSE Annual Fund|.