Lessons from the field : experts weigh in on years of conducting fieldwork in post-atrocity zones

Abstract

Conducting research in post-atrocity settings contributes to broader societal efforts to address the legacies of genocide, promote justice, and educate the public in ways that foster a more inclusive future for affected societies. At the same time, such fieldwork requires a heightened level of care for research participants, researchers, and their team. By highlighting the complex dynamics of international research in communities recovering from mass violence, this fieldwork reflection aims to demystify aspects of fieldwork in such contexts. We collectively write this piece, drawing on decades of combined experience researching and writing about post-atrocity settings in more than fifteen countries [These countries include Armenia, Burundi, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Poland, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, and Uganda]. Focused on our personal experiences, we offer five lessons that address dynamics of marginalization in the field, interrogation of researcher positionality, secondary trauma, trust building, and navigating research-related bureaucracy.