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Social Science and Public Policy

Planetary Fieldwork: Researching Global Processes in Real-Time

October 7, 2022 at 3:00pm4:00pm

Virtual (See event details)

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Geography and the Environment Workshop- Thea Riofrancos, Providence College

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.

This event was first published on October 3, 2022 and last updated on January 19, 2023.


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