Paper short abstract:

A debated issue of anthropology applied "to" development remains the engagement of the researcher and ethnographic fieldwork. Based on the 'case' of a project and my experience working as part of the research team, the paper reflects upon the roles and expectations placed on research activities.

Paper long abstract:

Research methods build the bridge between the world, on the one hand, and its representations on the other. One of the ways that ethnography has done this in the field of international development and cooperation is by examining, through the "researcher" in the field, the development project life that policy legitimises as social processes. Ethnography, it is believed, can help explain the complexity of development policy and practice, as it can assert the why of specific decision-making processes; and therefore, it has been used to investigate development by most social anthropologists around the world, not without concerns. A debated issue of anthropology applied "to" development remains the engagement of the researcher and his/her ethnographic fieldwork in the project context.

Overall, most research on this topic reviews how anthropological research contributes to understanding local social contexts, discussing project's success and impacts. However, research in development action can also be part of project planned activities. Problems begin when research outcomes begin to quietly challenge the project (and its project leader) with contradictory or divergent results.

Based on the 'case' of a project in India, promoting local development through cultural heritage revitalisation and my experience working as part of the researcher team, partnering in the project, the paper reflects upon the different roles and expectations placed on research activities in project context and highlights the actors' position towards the researcher and its ethnographic work.