Cristiane Bernardes
Collaborative reflexive inquiry into parliaments: Ethnographers negotiating during research on politics
Bernardes, Cristiane; Cornwall, Andrea; Crewe, Emma; Hoyler, Telma
Authors
Contributors
Jonathan Chibois
Editor
Samuel Shapiro
Editor
Abstract
In August 2022, a group of four ethnographers assembled in São Paulo to undertake a collaborative inquiry with politicians, each with their own different identities, positions of power, rhythms of work and sensibilities. By researching as a team, we benefitted from (1) a larger range of contacts, networks and tactics to gain access; (2) continual critical debate before and after encounters; (3) a more expansive imagination to fathom what happens in political (including postcolonial) meetings between our own habitus and that of our interlocutors and (4) varied improvised practical judgements to gain a sense of proportion, learn from plural audiences and navigate ethical challenges. In the collective field note-taking and discussions between the four of us about our encounters, we brought different knowledge into our interpretative narratives – writing with the authority of a polyphonic group as a temporary single voice. It was uncomfortable at times, but what felt like a loss in the short-term usually became a gain in the longer term. Working as a group enabled a more rigorous way of handling what has been called a crisis of representation because there was a shared commitment to recognizing complexity, respecting each other’s knowledge and being prepared for intense negotiation.
Citation
Bernardes, C., Cornwall, A., Crewe, E., & Hoyler, T. (2025). Collaborative reflexive inquiry into parliaments: Ethnographers negotiating during research on politics. In J. Chibois, & S. Shapiro (Eds.), Fieldwork in centres of power, a longitudinal perspective. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003356349-12
Acceptance Date | Jan 27, 2023 |
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Publication Date | Feb 11, 2025 |
Deposit Date | Mar 24, 2023 |
Publicly Available Date | Feb 12, 2026 |
Publisher | Routledge |
Series Title | Routledge Studies in Fieldwork and Ethnographic Research |
Book Title | Fieldwork in centres of power, a longitudinal perspective |
ISBN | 9781032372402 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003356349-12 |
Keywords | Collaborative ethnography, fieldwork, parliaments |
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