The Amerikas Colloquium

In this reading circle, we will explore the role of money in anthropological fieldwork, focusing on access to the field, relationships with local interlocutors, and researchers’ ethical responsibilities. We will discuss the tensions between embeddedness in capitalist systems and local economic realities, as well as how money is integrated into local practices, perceptions, and social relations. Through a closer reading of the recent publication “Thinking through Payment in Fieldwork” in American Ethnologist, we aim to critically reflect on the implications of monetary exchanges in ethnographic research. Please read the text in preparation for the upcoming session.

Salverda, Tijo et al. 2026. „Thinking through Payment in Fieldwork: Changing the Narrative about Money and Reciprocity“. American Ethnologist 53 (3): 236–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.70102.

When?        Thuesday 2026-11-26, 16:15
Where?       Oettingenstr. 67
                    Room C007

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