• Date: January 31st, Friday, 2020 15:00-17:30
• Location: Room 220, SNUAC (Bldg. 101)

  “Passionate and sympathetic research records from 12 field study experts working all over the globe”

Twelve female researchers meeting and studying other spaces, cultures, and societies across borders have put together their field research logs in a book. We invite you to where female researchers on overseas regions share their processes and experiences of crossing psychological, geographical and sociocultural lines.

• Hosted by: SNUAC,  BK21+ Program at Dept. of Anthropology, Seoul National University
• RSVP: https://forms.gle/2fgEztYiLSs4H5Gv7 
• Program
  15:00~15:30  Registration & book purchase, etc.
  15:30~15:50  Opening ceremony (Greetings and introduction of the project) | Gi Yeon Koo (SNUAC)
  15:50~16:30  The “borders” we have crossed | Authors
  16:30~16:50  An international affairs journalist’s view on the book  | Jeong Eun Koo (The Kyunghyang Shinmun)
  16:50~17:30  Q & A

※ Books are available for purchase at a discounted price.

On January 31st, a book talk was held at Samick Hall of SNUAC for the book <Female Scholars Who Crossed The Border>, which is a collection of field research notes by 12 female researchers working around the globe in countries such as Iran, Hong Kong, Israel, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand. Among the 12 field research experts who authored the book, eight joined the book talk to share their processes of writing, experience and difficulties on their field research trips, and advice for peers.

The authors talked about how the research abroad was not easy, and how various incidents caused them to both love and hate their research sites. Their experiences consisted of having to leave young children to go abroad to research, changing their research topics, trying to get closer to or maintain a distance from the interview subjects, and agonizing whether each day of the research trip abroad culminated in earning meaningful data for research. The authors talked of difficulties they had to face during the research process due to their being ‘women’ and ‘foreigners’ at the same time, but also assured us that there were scenes in the local regions that they could only look into because of their identity as a female foreign researcher. Along with various episodes, they also shared some tips for junior researchers on field research.

After the book talk, Jung-eun Koo (Senior reporter) of the International Division at Kyunghyang Sinmun presented her review of the book. She shared her thoughts and impressions on each essay, and talked about the parts that she empathized with, being a journalist specialized in world affairs, working across the globe.

As the authors have written in the preface, “We wanted to share our actual experiences and advice on field research that remained as ‘casual chats’ in private spaces. That became the starting point for this book,” the book talk was a fulfilling time for all participants to hear vivid stories from their field experience.

Review by DooWon Chang (Academic Reporter)