Safety in the Field: A Reflection and Progress Report

Abstract This report contextualizes and summarizes two preliminary discussions on folklorists’ safety in the field, with particular attention to how to prepare and support students and junior colleagues. The first discussion, which took place at the 2023 New York State Folk Arts Roundtable, resulted in ideas for eventual goals, such as developing a safety tool kit for fieldworkers, instructors, and public folklore organizations. The second discussion took place at the workshop “Folklore Fieldwork and the Safety of Ethnographers” during the 2024 American Folklore Society Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and identified safety needs and challenges as well as four recommended next steps.