North Carolina State University

2008 Summer Ethnographic Field School

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

May 16, 2008 - July 7, 2008

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

The program begins with an orientation and classes; meanwhile students begin to develop their research project, eventually writing a final report on their research activities and findings throughout the seven weeks of the program.   Students here learn methods and theories through class room lectures and fieldwork assignments. In addition, there are several overnight or day-long excursions to other communities and cities in the Western Guatemalan highlands. One trip is a 3-day, 4 night excursion to Antigua, the old colonial capital that was left in ruins by the 1773 earthquake.  Over the last 30 years, Antigua has been rebuilt, but with an eye to keeping the capital as it was in the 18th century. 

There are lots of good restaurants, sight-seeing and side trips.  One of the side trips is an excursion to climb Pacaya volcano, one of the highlights of the trip.

Students are placed in Guatemalan homes in communities around Lake Atitlan, where they are live. Contact with their families is one of the best ways  to learn about Guatemalan and Mayan Atitlan culture and society. Each student undertakes his/her own applied research project.   Student fieldwork begins immediately and continues throughout the remaining  weeks. The director, located in Panajachel, will make frequent visits to each student to assist them in their research and check on their progress. For examples of the type of research projects students have done in the past, consult the website's final papers from each of the previous field schools. The program emphasizes the following skills development during the program:I

designing a field research project;

selecting appropriate research methods based on a realistic appraisal of the field context;

defining and utilizing appropriate sampling procedures;

developing daily and weekly research goals;

writing field notes, coding field notes and keeping a journal;

doing systematic observation techniques;

understanding ethical issues implied in field work;

doing formal and informal interviewing;

working effectively with informants (collaborators) and translators;

developing appropriate rapport building devices;

doing community and cognitive mapping;

understanding how and when to use rapid appraisal techniques;

understanding time allocation study techniques;

surviving and overcoming culture shock;

using laptop computers for simple research tasks;

analyzing ethnographic data, and writing research reports.

 

Below are some photos of field school students in class and interviewing community members during the 2004 field school session.

Two tourist art vendors from San Andres Semetabaj.