From East to West : One Instance of Changing Fieldwork
Through a comparison of two fieldwork experiences (Malaysia, 1978-1992 ; England, 1998- ) which make up her research trajectory, the author considers whether and how her perspective has changed. Focusing on informant/observer mutual perception and on the notion of distance, she inventories some of the changes in fieldwork perspective. While in Malaysia the emphasis was on collecting (representative) data liable to some degree of generalisation, fieldwork in England values equally individuals informants’ experience and perception as well as common cultural usage. This shift is the author’s response to broader changes in the field since the 1980s.