The document discusses the case for collaborative ethnography. It begins by outlining the history of collaboration in ethnography, noting that early American ethnographers like Boas and Morgan conducted research collaboratively with Native American populations. However, once anthropology became more academic, collaborative work fell out of favor. The document then defines collaborative ethnography according to Lassiter as emphasizing collaboration at every stage of the research process. Applications of collaborative ethnography discussed include sustainable community development research and a study on children's relationships with food. The author proposes applying collaborative methods to study food systems in American schools. In conclusion, collaborative ethnography is presented as a valuable approach that can facilitate positive change for communities while still contributing to academia

1. The Case for Collaborative Ethnography
Holly Cavanaugh
Spring 2013
Anthropology 410
Abstract
Collaboration is becoming increasingly important for anthropologists in the field -
especially in and ethnographic context. Ethnographic fieldwork is no longer just about
recording and learning about another culture, but what are the implications of the
research? Collaborative ethnography has deep American roots, and until recently, has
been on the back burner in anthropology. I believe collaborative methods are some of
the most important and necessary tools for the modern ethnographer, especially in
sustainable community development research. By working with and including
community members in research, an ethnographer can facilitate actual change within
marginalized communities, while still contributing research to academia. Collaborative
ethnography is waiting for anthropologists to seize it and will become a primary
research tool in the very near future.

2. The Case for Collaborative Ethnography
“Only a few of us will ever have the opportunity to write widely read books
or engage in activisms that have far-ranging effects on the public at large.
But most of us, faculty, students, and practitioners alike, will have
opportunity to more systematically involve the various publics with whom
we work in collaborative research partnerships, many of which will
transpire on a local level.” (Lassiter 2008:73)
The Beginning of Collaborative Ethnography
Collaboration in ethnography is not a recent endeavor. Early American
ethnographers, such as Franz Boas and Lewis Henry Morgan, were early on conducting
ethnography in direct collaboration with Native American populations. Morganʼs studies
and writings influenced the creation of the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) and
many of the early ethnographies to come from the BAE shaped the ways
ʻethnographers went about describing Native America.ʼ (Lassiter 2005b:86) As a result
of these collaborations, many of the Native Americans involved in various projects
became BAE ethnologists and ethnographers themselves.
Once anthropology began to gain more academic credibility, collaborative
ethnographic work fell to the side. Ethnography now required university training, and the
expectations of publishing were of a ʻsingle-authoredʼ work - the sole anthropologist.
Collaboration in ethnography was ʻput on hold,ʼ (2005b:89) and was easy to set aside
for a more ʻEuropeanʼ way of doing ethnography, compiling data to create a single story
of the culture or society being researched.

3. Today, we (specifically cultural anthropologists) are slowly, and possibly
unknowingly, turning back to the ideas and methods of collaborative ethnography, as the
realization that a ʻsingle storyʼ is not representative of virtually any culture. In order to
fully understand the cultures anthropologists study, all of which are greatly complex, the
ethnographer is increasingly needing to collaborate with the peoples of these cultures.
A modern example of collaboration within anthropology and ethnography is sustainable
community development research.
Sustainable community development research and programs are quickly
becoming an effective and efficient way of solving problems of development throughout
the globe. Ethnographers switch between the role of the researcher and the facilitator;
while they are researching development-related issues, they are simultaneously working
with the people to some up with solutions to alleviate the pressures and struggles that
have resulted form the many years of developmental practices. I will discuss
sustainable community development and itʼs relationship with collaborative ethnography
later in this paper.
Defining Collaborative Ethnography
One of, if not the, the most prominent advocates of modern collaborative
ethnographic practices, is Luke Eric Lassiter of Marshall University Graduate College.
Lassiter has researched, written, and spoken about collaborative ethnography in great
detail since his first publication, The Power of Kiowa Song: A Collaborative Ethnography
was released in 1998.

4. In The Chicago Guide to Collaborative Ethnography, Lassiter defines
ʻcollaborative ethnographyʼ as an approach that “deliberately and explicitly emphasizes
collaboration at every point in the ethnographic process, without veiling it- from project
conceptualization, to fieldwork, and, especially, through the writing process.” (2005a:16)
He outlines the different names that ʻcollaborative researchʼ falls under: community-
based research, action research, participatory research, and participatory community
research. (2008:73) Collaborative ethnography is guided by all the ethical commitments
by which traditional ethnography is undertaken, but often collaboration calls for other
cautions. Because there is much more involvement on behalf of the ʻparticipantsʼ or ʻco-
researchers,ʼ the ethnographer must make sure to constantly check with and involve the
participants in all aspects of the research.
One of the key aspects of collaborative ethnography is what Lassiter calls the
“collaborative reading, writing, and co-interpretation.” (Lassiter 2005a: 133) The
acknowledgement of a particular audience one is writing to, is always necessary to be
considered when writing anthropologically. Collaborative ethnography should be
accessible to a greater audience, not just academia, and specifically to those who
participated in the research, who should have access to read, edit and fully understand
the final product. Lassiter lays out numerous strategies to accomplish this, such as
using principle participants as readers and editors, conducting focus groups for
feedback, or forming an editorial board of appointed community members to ensure
accurate depiction. Refraining from using jargon and other forms of academic language
is also a way to make sure the content is readable.

5. I agree with Lassiterʼs view that the ʻwhole pointʼ of conducting collaborative
ethnography, is to “realize along with [participants] both the collaborative meanings and
collaborative actions.” (Lassiter 2008:78) One of the most important roles of an
anthropologist is to undertake research that has a sense of worth. What would be the
point of months and sometimes years of diligent research if nothing was accomplished,
but an academic publication? Anthropologists need to be involving their ethnographic
participants in their inquiries; not simply ʻresearchingʼ for the sake of research. This
involvement of community members is has the potential to inspire what early BAE
members were inspired to do - to undertake their own studies. Anthropology has a
definite place in academia, but I believe it needs to also step outside of this spectrum -
and into the hands of the cultures and peoples themselves.
Limitations of Collaborative Ethnography
Even with the potential benefits, collaborative ethnography does indeed have
limitations and risks associated to it, ones that are similar and at times more cautionary,
than those of traditional ethnography. Limitations that cross over with both traditional
and collaborative ethnography include, but are not limited to, the range of the field
experience, the peoples being studied, and angle the research is undertaken.
Collaborative ethnography is further limited simply by the greater involvement of the
participants. By involving the participants in the research process, the ethnographer
accepts the risk of losing control over the project, if it is not performed properly.

6. It is always necessary for the ethnographer to be honest and upfront about the
research being proposed1 and its possible limitations. While all ethnographies require
some form of collaboration, it is necessary to understand that collaborative ethnography
is not appropriate for all projects. Another important limitation to acknowledge is the
constant negotiation that is needed in conducting collaborative ethnography.
Negotiations in the moral, ethnical, and political spheres are just a few that need to be
kept in mind.
Many limitations in collaborative ethnography are project-specific. In Lassiterʼs
collaboration with students from Ball State University and citizens of Muncie, Indiana for
the publication, The Other Side of Middletown, limitations consisted of a short time
constraint (4 months) and access to community members, who ended up being older,
retired citizens who had the available time to participate fully. Having said this, the
various limitations greatly outweigh the possibilities presented by this collaborative
ethnography. I would argue that the majority of collaborative ethnographies, only the ʻtip
of the icebergʼ is really reached. Ethnography only scratches the surface of the culture it
is researching, usually concluding with one or two ʻfindings.ʼ Collaboration opens the
doors to many new research angles and uses of ethnography, most notably in
marginalized communities. Ethnography is no longer limited to going into strange and
foreign cultures to study ʻthe other;ʼ itʼs becoming more common for anthropologist to
study culture close to home - whether the culture is marginalized in a greater context, or
is in our American backyards. Ethnography is more important than ever, not only to
1 however, it is important to note that this is necessary for all kinds of ethnographers

7. contribute to academia, but to make small, lasting differences in the field, and with
participants.
Applications of Collaborative Ethnography
There are many ways in which collaboration can be applied in ethnographic
methods. Ethnography itself always contains some sort of collaboration, whether its a
great or small amount. What I see as the main application of collaborative ethnography,
is whenever ethnographic research is being used to assess and/or better a current
situation- whether it be in creating a more sustainable way to farm in a third world
country, or improving school lunches in a metropolitan American city.
Lassiter has provided much guidance and examples of collaborative
ethnography, on American soil, but I was introduced to this idea of greater collaboration
in ethnography, through an article based on ethnographic research conducted in
Scandinavia titled, “Nordic Childrenʼs Foodscapes” (Johansson, Barbo, et al., 2009).
This project utilizes numerous collaborative methods, the most important two being: a
research team (rather than a sole individual) and the main participants (Scandinavian
children) who were treated as ʻco-researchersʼ rather than subjects. The research team
included the children in two ways: first by giving them each disposable cameras and
instructing them what to take pictures of, and second by facilitating group discussions
about the pictures and other topics that arose from these conversations. By doing these
two things, the research team was able to really include the children in a way that
wasnʼt as alienating, as a traditional ethnography may have done. The goal of this
particular project was to learn how children view their own ʻfoodscapesʼ and to analyze

8. them in order to find themes and patterns within the different children and their
foodscapes.
Another application of collaborative ethnography is within sustainable community
development research, which in some regions is already in practice. A ʻworkingʼ
definition of sustainable community development is “a way of improving or advancing
communities in ways that can be maintained over the long run.” (Chiras and Herman,
1997: 108) Workshops are one of the most efficient ways of practicing collaboration in
the context of sustainable community development, the role of an ethnographer being
flexible and somewhat interchangeable with the role of facilitator.
This type of research would, more often than not, lead to a longer duration in the
field, compared with a traditional ethnography, since the ethnographer would not only be
researching for the sake of academia, but contributing to solutions to improve the
specific community - in the ways community members see most fit The workshops play
an important part in the community members assessing what they feel needs to be
improved in their community- thus not having this ʻdevelopmentʼ be defined (as it has in
the past) by western, industrialized ideals.
Nancy Scheper-Hughes also seems to utilize collaborative methods within her
research, mostly due to her role of being a ʻwitnessʼ while in the field. Instead of going
into the field as strictly a researcher, Scheper-Hughes urges field anthropologists to be
“responsive, reflexive, and morally committed being[s]... who will ʻtake sidesʼ and make
judgements” (Scheper-Hughes, 1995: 419) rather than maintain the ʻnon-involvementʼ
persona typically aimed for. She asks what will become of anthropology, a field of

9. knowledge or a field of action? (1995: 419) This is where I connect Scheper-Hughes to
collaborative ethnography in developmental practices.
Ethnographers (and Anthropologists in general) are tools to be used in
developmental practices, in order to hammer out the problems created by past
developers while at the same time being able to acknowledge their own limitations.
“Anthropology can expose the limitations of so much which is done in the name of
development, while at the same time offering ideas for challenging constructively the
world of development and suggesting how this can be changed.” (Gardner and Lewis,
2005: 358) Anthropology is being called to action, so to speak, in that, we (as
anthropologists) have the necessary tools to combat past detrimental developmental
practices, and why not use them?
Collaborative Ethnography in my Anthropological Future
There are two possible applications of collaborative ethnography I could
potentially utilize in my anthropological future - within these two previously discussed
spectrums: sustainable community development research and culinary anthropology
research. These two somewhat differing spectrums have been introduced to me on
separate occasions, but it wasnʼt until recently I began to realize possible connections.
Conducting collaborative ethnographic research in a sustainable community
development project through a culinary lens is probably one of the most fascinating
prospective fields of inquiry I hope to dive into in the future.
Applying collaborative ethnographic methods to food-related issues in
marginalized communities can procure different affects. As I previously mentioned,

10. workshops are one of the tools used in sustainable community development projects,
and through these workshops, I, as the ethnographic researcher and facilitator, could
help guide the community in finding solutions to their issues.
One inquiry I would be interested in my anthropological future is the possibility of
assessing and reworking food systems in rural American schools. By collaborating with
the school children, faculty, and food suppliers, I could get an idea on what changes
were needed to revitalize the current food system. Early nutritional necessities are being
pushed aside for faster and cheaper solutions, but this is leaving elementary and middle
school children more vulnerable to obesity - which is already a growing problem in
America.
One of the prominent voices in this national, and somewhat global, discussion of
childhood obesity being related to childhood nutrition is Jamie Oliver. Oliver is a chef by
trade, but has become one of the prominent advocates for the revitalization of school
lunches throughout America and other western countries. Although Oliver is not an
anthropologist or an ethnographer, he has laid down the groundwork for potential
collaborative ethnographic research. He was able to revitalize one schoolʼs food system
to be healthier and more efficient through collaboration with the community and setting
up a long term, sustainable plan to keep the changes in place.
Using Oliverʼs work as a takeoff, I would want to research rural (and urban) food
systems in American schools, through collaborative ethnography. This is one project I
hope to build off of in my future anthropological career, there are certainly many others
that could be closely related to these fields of sustainable community development and
culinary anthropology.

11. Collaborative ethnography has come a long way since its humble beginnings in
Native American landscapes, and its relatively recent revival in the last few decades. I
see collaboration in all anthropological fields to grow in the near future, with greater
needs to work together, rather than apart. And in following the footsteps of many
influential anthropologists, such as Nancy Scheper-Hughes, Franz Boas, and Luke Eric
Lassiter, I hope to make a small difference in the world - whether it is in a rural American
school cafeteria, or in a developing nationʼs agricultural fields - not only deepen
academiaʼs anthropological discussions, but to make a positive and lasting difference in
a community. I depart with Lassiterʼs words in mind,
“Indeed, this was why I was drawn to anthropology in the first place: if we werenʼt doing
ethnography for others, for whom were we doing it?” (Lassiter 2005a: 22)

12. Bibliography
Audirac, Ivonne.
- 1997 Rural Sustainable Development in America. New York: John Wiley &
Sons.
- Chapter 6: “Sustainable Community Development: A Systems Approach.”
by Daniel D. Chiras and Julie Herman
- Chapter 12: “Community-based Workshops: Building a Partnership for
Community Vitality.” by James A. Segedy
Edelman, Marc and Haugeurd, Angelique.
- 2005 The Anthropology of Development and Globalization. Oxford: Blackwell.
- Chapter 27: “Beyond Development” by Katy Gardner and David Lewis
Johansson, Barbo, et al.
- 2009 “Nordic Childrenʼs Foodscapes: Images and Reflections.” Food, Culture &
Society. Vol. 12 No. 1: 25-51.
Lassiter, Luke Eric.
- 2004a “Collaborative Ethnography.” AnthroNotes. Vol. 25 No. 1: 1-9.
- 2004b “Teacherʼs Corner: Doing Collaborative Ethnography.” AnthroNotes. Vol.
25 No. 1: 10-14.
- 2005a The Chicago Guide to Collaborative Ethnography. University of Chicago
Press.
- 2005b “Collaborative Ethnography and Public Anthropology.” Current
Anthropology. Vol. 46 No. 1: 83-106.
- 2008 “Moving Past Public Anthropology and Doing Collaborative Research.”
NAPA Bulletin. Vol. 29: 70-86.
Oliver, Jamie.
- 2010. “Jamie Oliverʼs TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food.” Retrieved
from http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

13. Scheper-Hughes, Nancy.
- 1995 “The Primacy of the Ethical: Propositions for a Militant Anthropology.”
Current Anthropology. Vol. 36 No. 3: 409-440.