Further Reading

Further reading links to supplement your studies.

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This guide to further reading identifies references for the key themes of the practicalities of fieldwork abroad, debates about cultural difference, translation strategies and negotiating power relations:

  • Two articles by Nash (2000) discuss practical issues in undertaking independent fieldwork abroad. The first addresses establishing contacts, legal requirements for visas, collecting and exporting samples, health and safety issues, and training. The second considers budgeting and fundraising.
    Nash, D.J. (2000a) ‘Doing independent overseas fieldwork 1: practicalities and pitfalls’, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 24: 139–49.
    Nash, D.J. (2000b) ‘Doing independent overseas fieldwork 2: getting funded’, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 24: 425–33.
     
  • Dywer (2014), Skelton and Allen (1999) and McEwan (2008) explore current debates about contemporary cultural change. All provide useful overviews. 
    Dwyer, C. (2014) ‘Diasporas’, in P. Cloke, P. Crang and M. Goodwin (eds) Introducing Human Geographies (3rd edn). London: Routledge, pp.669‒85.
    Skelton, T. and Allen, T. (eds) (1999) Culture and Global Change. London: Routledge.
    McEwan, C. (2008) ‘Geography, culture and global change’, in P. Daniels, M. Bradshaw, D. Shaw and J. Sidaway (eds) An Introduction to Human Geography. Harlow: Prentice Hall. pp. 273–89.
  • Although it is an older source, Hall (1995) is a key discussion of debates about globalization, culture and difference which underpin recent debates. 
    Hall, S. (1995) ‘New cultures for old’, in D. Massey and P. Jess (eds) A Place in the World? Places, Cultures and Globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Open University, Press, pp. 175–213.
  • Smith (1996, 2009), Twyman et al. (1999), Bujra (2006), Müller (2007) and Turner (2010) all consider the issue of translation between different languages and of working with a translator. Each discusses how translation itself can become part of the focus for analysis.
    Smith, F.M. (1996) ‘Problematizing language: limitations and possibilities in “foreign language” research’, Area, 28(2): 160–66.
    Smith, F.M. (2009) ‘Translation’, in R. Kitchin and N. Thrift (eds) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. London: Elsevier, pp. 361–67.
    Twyman, C., Morrisson, J. and Sporton, D. (1999) ‘The final fifth: autobiography, reflexivity and interpretation in cross-cultural research’, Area, 31: 313–26.
    Bujra, J. (2006) ‘Lost in translation? The use of interpreters in fieldwork’, in V. Desai and R. Potter (eds) Doing Development Research. London: Sage, pp. 172–79.
    Müller, M. (2007) ‘What’s in a word? Problematizing translation between languages’, Area, 39(2): 206–13.
    Turner, S. (2010) ‘The silenced assistant. Reflections of invisible interpreters and research assistants’, Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 51: 206    ‒19.
     
  • Pratt et al. (2007), Nagar et al. (2003) and Chattopadhyay (2013) provide detailed examples of negotiating power relations, positionality and representation in cross-cultural research.
    Pratt, G. (2007) in collaboration with the Phillippine Women Centre of B.C. and Ugnayan ng Kabatang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipio-Canadian Youth Alliance ‘Working with migrant communities: collaborating with the Kalayan Centre in Vancouver, Canada’, in S. Kindon, R. Pain and M. Kesby (eds) Participatory Action Research Approaches and Methods: Connecting People, Participation and Place. London: Routledge, pp. 95–103.
    Nagar, R. in consultation with F. Ali and Sangatin Women’s Collective, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, India (2003) ‘Collaboration across borders: moving beyond positionality’, Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 24(3): 356–72.
    Chattopadhyay, S. (2013) ‘Getting personal while narrating the ‘field’: a researcher’s journey to the villages of the Narmada valley’, Gender, Place and Culture, 20: 137    ‒59.

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Online resources
 

  • The website of the Royal Geographical Society (UK) also gives a whole variety of links to practical sources about international fieldwork
     
  • Websites of relevance to issues of translation include:

o    Google Translate ‒ probably the best known of the machine code translation sites available (though see the comments in the chapter about the limitations of such sites); 

o    An example of a professional code of ethics for interpreters and translators can be found at Language Line Solutions;

o    An example of ‘activist’ approaches to interpreting and translation can be found at  Babels.org.