Anthropology of the Hometown

ABSTRACT Anthropological methods and theory have historically marginalized hometown research while they have privileged the study of the “Other.” This essay discusses the prevalent challenges and misconceptions surrounding research conducted in one's hometown, while advancing its legitimacy as an anthropological field site. Positionality in anthropological work has gained popularity, yet studying one's own community continues to be marginalized in academia, as it is perceived to be too subjective and therefore lacking scientific rigor. While the COVID‐19 pandemic temporarily normalized hometown research due to travel restrictions, this essay calls for continued validation of hometown anthropology as a legitimate site of ethnographic investigation. Doing anthropology of the hometown not only challenges traditional anthropological paradigms; it also contributes to broader efforts of disciplinary redress and decolonization.