Chai and Conversation: Crafting Field Identities and Archaeological Practice in South Asia

In this article, we present examples from four research projects in India that were influenced by the values and ethics of decolonized and participatory research, and shaped by engendered perspectives. Each project built on earlier experiences that forced us to critically examine the ways we engaged...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archeological papers of the American Anthropological Association 2020-07, Vol.31 (1), p.80-95
Main Authors: Raczek, Teresa P, Sugandhi, Namita S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropology
Archaeology
Communication
Decolonization
Ethics
Ethnography
Inequality
Intersectionality
Intersubjectivity
Participatory research
Tactics
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Summary:In this article, we present examples from four research projects in India that were influenced by the values and ethics of decolonized and participatory research, and shaped by engendered perspectives. Each project built on earlier experiences that forced us to critically examine the ways we engaged with participants, crafted our field identities, and formed relationships. Using insights from linguistic anthropology and attending to intersectional inequalities and the construction of epistemic authority, we showcase how conducting an ethnography of communication and employing tactics of intersubjectivity influenced archaeological outcomes. We argue that close attention to context of communication, identity expression, and intersectional inequality enhances intersubjectivity, a necessary ingredient for successful participatory archaeology projects.
ISSN:1551-823X
1551-8248
DOI:10.1111/apaa.12125