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Paper short abstract:

Through a case study where a PhD student wanted to undertake participant-observation to understand a creative process but also collaborate with a field respondent, this paper will reflect on the practical & theoretical issues generated by conducting ethnographic fieldwork in an Art School context.

Paper long abstract:

Whilst ethnographic methodologies can have a distinct appeal and appear to provide a viable framework for doctoral students undertaking fieldwork in an art school context, the necessary distancing and relativist aspects of a robust participant-observer approach can become problematic when creative activities sit at the centre of the proposed research programme. This paper will unpack this issue, primarily drawing on the case study of a completed PhD where the student's aspiration to understand a creative process sat in tension with their desire to collaborate on a creative project in an equitable way with their key field respondent. How the issue was resolved in practice, the effect it had on the final structure of the student's doctoral project, and the long-term impact the experience had on the doctoral student's post-PhD career will all be addressed. To help triangulate the events being discussed, this paper will include primary material from both the student's and the supervisor's perspectives, as well as drawing on the published thesis and referring to material artefacts created for the doctoral examination and outputs from subsequent activities. The paper will go on to consider the wider theoretical and practical implications of supporting Art and Design students when they show an interest in the anthropological literature and ethnographic methods but are not studying in an anthropology department. It will conclude by reflecting on the strengths and limitations of practicing ethnography in creative industry educational contexts and the insights this can provide for educators and students based in art schools.