The field research course brings students to Brazil’s Cacao Coast, in the Northeastern state of Bahia, to map changes in the region. Students put anthropological research techniques into practice to document the work of local leadership (lideranças) in five arenas: agroecology; race and gender; health; migration and tourism; and education and traditional knowledge. Supported by tutor-translators who were also subject matter experts, in the first half of the course, the teams undertake participant observation and do interviews at different sites. Time is reserved for daily fieldnotes, texts and classroom discussion, and collaborative analysis. During the second half of the course, the teams analyze their data, produce posters and a video of their findings, which are shared at a final community networking event for all participants. Each student also pursue an individual research question and write an final research paper. The group video, posters, and selected essays, in Portuguese and English, are linked below.
FSS3210 - FSS4210 - ECH4210 | Local Leadership and Social Change in Brazil
Serra Grande, Uruçuca, Bahia | May-June 2022; August 2023; May-June 2024
Explore Essays
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Anne Musene | 2022
Conhecimento e diálogo: a base para uma mudança efetiva | Knowledge and dialogue: the basis for effective mudança
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Ahmad El-Arab | 2022
Conceitualizando e Praticando Solidariedade através da Agroecologia | Conceptualizing and Practicing Solidarity through Agroecology
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Clare Walker | 2022
Para além do dendê e da mandioca: os cruzamentos potenciadores da alimentação e da agroecologia em Serra Grande, Bahia | Beyond dendê and manioc: The empowering intersections of food and agroecology in Serra Grande, Bahia
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Hannah Klassen | 2022
Pesquisando como líderes comunitários e agroecologistas locais usam conceitos agroecológicos chave em seu trabalho social e ambiental: Uma breve exploração do incrível conhecimento no sul da Bahia, Brasil | Investigating how community leaders and local agroecologists use key agroecological concepts in their social and environmental work: A brief exploration of the incredible knowledge in Southern Bahia, Brazil
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Julia Pedlar | 2022
O caminho para nascer em Serra Grande | The Way to Birth in Serra Grande
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Alex Price | 2023
A luta dos agricultores rurais pela soberania alimentar no sul da Bahia, Brasil | Rural Farmers’ Fight for Food Sovereignty in Southern Bahia, Brazil
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Penelope Lagera | 2023
Pesquisa De Campo No Brasil: Agroflorestas | Brazil Field Research: Agroforestry
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Diana Kim | 2023
Reformulação da identidade local como consequência da migração | Reshaping Local Identity in the Wake of Migration
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Mia Burdeau | 2023
Emoções Misturadas e Médicos Desinteressados: Um exame das experiências das mulheres com a assistência à saúde materna em Serra Grande | Entangled Emotions and Disinterested Doctors: An Examination Of Women’s Experiences With Maternal Healthcare In Serra Grande
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Patricia Feng | 2023
A educação: Uma ponte para a cultura rumo à liberdade | Education: A Bridge for Culture Towards Freedom
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Shruti Mistry | 2023
Narrativas sobre Narrativas: Como o compartilhamento de histórias permite a autoconstrução | Narratives about Narratives: How Sharing Stories Enables Self-Construction
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Jacob Calestagne | 2023
Sustentabilidade no sul da Bahia, Brasil, significa mais do que o meio ambiente | Sustainability in Southern Bahia, Brazil, Means More than the Environment
