Assembling Bits and Pieces

Abstract

In this article, Beatrice Odierna traces how patchwork became not only a private interest and creative activity, but also a methodological point of reference and subsequently a research lens during her fieldwork with women adressed as refugees in Germany (2020-22). Referring to the metaphorical use of patchwork in both feminist literature research and social anthropology, the article points us to similarities between patchwork and ethnography. Finally, a broader understanding of patchwork ethnography is suggested, emphasizing the role of research partners as 'co-weavers' of anthropological knowledge.