Opening Up Fieldwork with Ethnographic Poetry

Abstract

Four ethnographic poems are used to explore, elucidate and complexify four ethnographic encounters in the field. Each poem is accompanied by a brief explanation as to the ethnographic context in which the poem was written, as well as the reasons why an ethnographic poem was chosen as a tool to illuminate, complexify and do justice to these varying fieldwork experiences. The strengths of ethnographic poetry as a rigorous and subtle tool for cross-cultural understanding is addressed.