In the Thick of It

Welcome to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk to qualitative researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. This is a product of the Public Ethnography Lab, housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University. We are a new center focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. In these episodes, we dive into the behind-the-scenes of anthropology by explaining the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. Hosted by Eva Rey.

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Episodes

2 days ago

What does it take to keep a public anthropology lab alive? In this episode, we talked with Giselle Figueroa about this. She is a PhD candidate at the Department of Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Founding Director of the Laboratorio de Antropología Abierta (Open Anthropology Lab). She is a SAPIENS Public Scholar Training Fellow and has received the Wenner-Gren Wadsworth International Fellowship, as well as support from the Colombian Ministry of Science and Technology.
Her academic interests are Economic Anthropology and the Anthropology of Globalisation, with a focus on natural resources.
 
Resources:
 
Open Anthropology Lab: https://www.antropologiaabierta.org/
SAPIENS Podcast: https://www.sapiens.org/culture/purification-gold-racialization-miners/
Kaleidos: https://www.kaleidos.ec/
Anthropology for Kids: https://a4kids.org/about/
The Ethnography Studio at USC: https://ethnographystudio.org/
Allegra Lab: https://allegralaboratory.net/
 
Music Credits:
"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
 
About In the Thick of It and the Public Ethnography Lab:Welcome to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. In the episodes, we dive into the behind-the-scenes of anthropology by explaining the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. Our first season is hosted by Eva Rey, PhD Candidate at American University.This is a podcast is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab. The Public Ethnography Lab is a new center housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University that is focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. The lab has three primary functions:
Foster, promote, and increase the use and appreciation of ethnographic methods
Support students, practitioners, and organizations in their ethnographic practice
Create ethnographic collaboration in order to advance community-driven social change
Want to know more? Visit the lab website: https://www.publicethnographylab.com/
Find us on:InstagramLinkedIn

Saturday Jul 05, 2025

Can ethnography be a tool for activism? In this episode, we talked with Professor Manissa Maharawal about this. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at American University. She is a cultural anthropologist and critical geographer. Her work focuses on eviction, race, displacement, and the spatial and temporal dynamics of contemporary urban social movements. She co-founded the Narratives of Displacement and Resistance Project within the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project.Dr. Maharawal is currently revising her new book manuscript titled: Anti-Eviction: Contesting Tech-Led Gentrification in San Francisco. Resources:Anti-Eviction Mapping Project: https://antievictionmap.com/  Ethnographies to read:
“Progressive Dystopia: Abolition, Antiblackness, and Schooling in San Francisco.” – Savannah Shange
“On the Plaza: The Politics of Public Space and Culture.” – Setha M. Low
Music Credits: "Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
About In the Thick of It and the Public Ethnography Lab:Welcome to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. In the episodes, we dive into the behind-the-scenes of anthropology by explaining the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. Our first season is hosted by Eva Rey, PhD Candidate at American University.This is a podcast is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab. The Public Ethnography Lab is a new center housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University that is focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. The lab has three primary functions:
Foster, promote, and increase the use and appreciation of ethnographic methods
Support students, practitioners, and organizations in their ethnographic practice
Create ethnographic collaboration in order to advance community-driven social change
Want to know more? Visit the lab website: https://www.publicethnographylab.com/
Find us on:InstagramLinkedIn

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