Reflections from Field Surveys and Ethnography in Northern Rural India

“Think like your participant,” advised a professor when I was preparing surveys for fieldwork in the rural and urban parts of Northern India. At that time, I did not fully understand the meaning of that advice because discerning how your participant thinks is something many social scientists, especially psychologists, take for granted. After all, being able to understand the thoughts and feelings of your participant with considerable accuracy is the key “occupational skill” required of a social scientist. Moreover, I am Indian. I speak the local language, understand the customs, and internalize the norms. What could possibly go wrong? I wish I had known better…