Fieldschool Is Not What It Used to Be: Innovations in Teaching and Learning Ethnographic Methods

This article examines how teaching and learning ethnographic methods could be adapted to contemporary times, considering shifting understandings of ethnography and practical attention to the experiences of new fieldworkers. Using the European Field Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a case study, we identify several pedagogical techniques, including a cohort-based learning model, peer mentoring, and group blogging, to support students in navigating the practicalities and challenges of fieldwork. We argue that these techniques cultivate a collaborative learning environment and enhance first-time fieldwork experience despite the physical distances fieldwork typically implies.