Paper short abstract:

Anthropological research of organised violence in general, and ethnographic fieldwork under fire in particular, once again make urgent ontological, ethical, and political issues. What are our responsibilities toward policy-makers, perpetrators and victims, academic research, etc?

Paper long abstract:

Anthropological fieldwork under fire and in the aftermath of war is no longer uncommon. Apart from creating a renewed sense of urgency for the question of research ethics, this type of fieldwork also brings back ontological issues to the mainstream of anthropological debate. One aspect of peace and conflict studies in anthropology thus is what consequences research into organized and extreme violence has for anthropology itself. Another aspect concerns what anthropological research can contribute to peace and conflict studies in general, considering that much of peace and conflict studies has become almost indistinguishable from that branch of political science that goes under the name of "international relations". Is there any point in reforming conventional peace and conflict studies? Should anthropologists ignore this field of study and focus on their own research agenda? A third aspect of anthropological peace and conflict research has to do with the wider issue of whether anthropologists should actively engage in creating peace and ending conflict. Alternatively, could we approve of anthropologists supporting one side in an armed conflict? These and related questions will be presented in order to open up for further discussion.