Paper long abstract

Ethnographic fieldwork has since its inception in the early 20th Century in most cases been framed as the immersion of the individual ethnographer in a larger social field. During most of this period team research has been seen as a poor substitute.

Drawing on the experiences collected in a comparative ethnographic research program undertaken in Colombia, Guatemala, South Africa and the West Bank this paper argues that team based research is a more ethical approach to field work in conflict ridden societies and communities.