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Short abstract:

Diverging from the assumption of the juxtaposition of theory and ethnographic work, the paper aims to discuss the collocation and provide parallels between applying traditional ecological knowledge embedded in boatbuilding practices and doing ethnography.

Long abstract:

In the early stages of my primary research on boatbuilding in the Russian North, I was groping for and exploring the tension between so-called ‘drawing’ and ‘flair’. This dichotomy revolves around the tension between using standardised measurements (such as length, width, and angles) versus relying on contextual, intuitive skills ('eye-ball') when constructing the boat. In my paper, I investigate how this tension applies to the fundamental aspects of anthropological work: theory and ethnography.

Theory is a tool that seeks to establish universal principles. At the same time, doing ethnography is an intuitive skill and knowledge passed down through generations of professors, academic supervisors and personal experiences, always rooted in practical and contextual application.

Drawing on a series of interviews and following discursive strategies of professors and scholars in Sociocultural anthropology and my teaching experience, I explore this tension, answering the question of relations between ‘theory’ and ‘ethnographic work’. I argue that traditional ecological knowledge embedded in boatbuilding practices can contribute to addressing issues related to sustainable environments and global warming. What problems can solve the contextual skill of doing ethnography?