Stories from the Field : A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science

Peter (Assistant Professor of Political Science) Krause

ISBN 10: 0231193017 / ISBN 13: 9780231193016

Published by Columbia University Press Jun 2020, 2020

About this Item

Neuware - Stories from the Field is a relatable, thoughtful, and unorthodox guide to field research in political science. It features personal stories from working political scientists: some funny, some dramatic, all fascinating and informative.

Seller Inventory # 9780231193016

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Stories from the Field : A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science
• Publisher: Columbia University Press Jun 2020
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0231193017
• ISBN 13: 9780231193016
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 228W x 153H x 25D millimeters 228 millimeters width by 153 millimeters height by 25 millimeters depth
• Weight: 542 grams

About this title

Synopsis

What do you do if you get stuck in an elevator in Mogadishu? How worried should you be about being followed after an interview with a ring of human traffickers in Lebanon? What happens to your research if you get placed on a government watchlist? And what if you find yourself feeling like you just aren’t cut out for fieldwork?

Stories from the Field is a relatable, thoughtful, and unorthodox guide to field research in political science. It features personal stories from working political scientists: some funny, some dramatic, all fascinating and informative. Political scientists from a diverse range of biographical and academic backgrounds describe research in North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, ranging from archival work to interviews with combatants. In sharing their stories, the book’s forty-four contributors provide accessible illustrations of key concepts, including specific research methods like conducting surveys and interviews, practical questions of health and safety, and general principles such as the importance of flexibility, creativity, and interpersonal connections. The contributors reflect not only on their own experiences but also on larger questions about research ethics, responsibility, and the effects of their personal and professional identities on their fieldwork. Stories from the Field is an essential resource for graduate and advanced undergraduate students learning about field research methods, as well as established scholars contemplating new journeys into the field.

About the Author

Peter Krause is associate professor of political science at Boston College and research affiliate with the MIT Security Studies Program. He is the author of Rebel Power: Why National Movements Compete, Fight, and Win (2017) and coeditor of Coercion: The Power to Hurt in International Politics (2018).

Ora Szekely is associate professor of political science at Clark University. She is the author of The Politics of Militant Group Survival in the Middle East: Resources, Relationships, and Resistance (2016) and coauthor of Insurgent Women: Female Combatants in Civil Wars (2019).