Doing ethnomusicological research as a white woman in Cameroon and the Central African Republic

Susanne Fürniss (1)

1 EA - Éco-Anthropologie

In this chapter, the author draws on her experiences as a woman researcher in the field and offers advice on how behavior might be appropriately adjusted in common field situations. She discusses respect and the establishment of clear boundaries between the researcher and the people with whom she works, with particular reference to gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and simply being fed up, financial solicitations, and authority, but also highlights the moments of true joy which may emerge from close collaboration with local musicians. The first part addresses issues of being a woman in the field, and how these changed or stayed the same of the course of her career. The second focuses more on negotiating local people's perception of the author's work as "a man's job".

Domaines: Anthropologie sociale et ethnologie

Susanne Fürniss. Doing ethnomusicological research as a white woman in Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Bonnie L. Hewlett. The Secret Lives of Anthropologists. Lessons from the Field, Routledge, pp.75 - 90, 2020, 978-1-138-50185-0. ⟨halshs-02403436⟩