My objectives for this research project were to determine Waorani perceptions of resource scarcity, articulations of culture, and education objectives/concerns. My research was initiated upon arriving in Ecuador on May 5th, and was completed the day prior to my departure on August 1st. I conducted my research principally through formal interviews and informal conversations; however, I was fortunate to observe (…)
[more »]
An elderly Italian couple was walking down the street when the husband slipped and fell, injuring himself in the process. The wife called bystanders over for help, lamenting, “My poor husband slipped and bashed his brains all over the street. How do you think that makes me feel?
This popular Argentine anecdote was told to me on my first day (…)
[more »]
After passing the dissertation proposal on May 9th, 2008, I started to plan for the trip to China. In my proposal, I planed to conduct part of my research project in China. My goal was to collect high-quality data of at least 30 adults and 70 3- to 6- year-old children in 6 weeks.
For the experimental purpose (…)
[more »]
I woke up as the plane approached Cuzco and saw half the passengers straining out of their seats, trying to get a glimpse of something outside the window. “What’s going on?” I asked my seat mate.
“The mountains,” she said. “They’re so high they almost touch the plane.” At that, I too turned in my seat and watched as the (…)
[more »]
The DUCIS Global Health Graduate Award funds allowed me to complete the majority of the data collection that I will need for my dissertation research project. I worked in Madagascar from June until October and visited four research sites: Kirindy Mitea National Park, Betmapona Strict Nature Reserve, Parc Ivoloina and Analamazaotra Nature Reserve. At these sites, I was able to (…)
[more »]
There it was — the look, the stares that I got as soon as I entered a place like this following after the Profamilia workers. The look, which seemed to follow me everywhere I went seemed to say” What is that guy doing here? He’s not from around here? What does he want?” This was a sort of self-constituting othering (…)
[more »]
A couple of memorable moments during my research in Northeast Central African Republic (CAR), up in the corner between Chad and Sudan, this summer: observing a deaf man talk on his cell phone (still haven’t figured that one out – the man can’t speak, nor can he write); meeting the Shaq-sized former rebel leader/diamond dealer/hunter/merchant who controls the territory; getting (…)
[more »]
