Planetary Fieldwork: Researching Global Processes in Real-Time

Planetary Fieldwork: Researching Global Processes in Real-Time

In the social sciences, we are often drawn to the study of large-scale, border-crossing processes: climate change, capitalism, migration, transnational activism, supranational governance, supply chains, policy diffusion, and more. Yet, traditional methods of qualitative work can feel ill-equipped for this purpose. “Single case studies” allow for depth, but can foreclose connections with other scales or locales; multicase studies tend to involve structured comparison, which relies on questionable assumptions of unit homogeneity and independence. Is there an alternative? Here, I will present my own methodological journey from in-depth case studies to the multi-sited study of macro processes, drawing out the contrast between a case-based method and a site-based method. I offer a framework for selecting research sites in order to maximize analytic leverage on fast-moving, global-scale phenomena such as supply chains, the energy transition, and anti-extractive movements. After this presentation, we will have a Q&A and open discussion in which participants are encouraged to share their own fieldwork approaches and challenges.