Contribution long abstract:

As a early-career researcher, I frequently found myself working on projects where power structures and public institutions were deeply interested in the type of knowledge I could generate as an anthropologist, to the extent of materially supporting the conditions of possibility of the research itself. From an ethical and epistemological perspective, this fact presents a number of challenges, whilst being indicative of the fact that our disciplines have matured to the point where they are valued in the public setting. One of the most significant ways to innovate and push the limits of our discipline is undoubtedly the potential for transdisciplinary collaborations and activities to give rise to experimental forms of research. However, it can also mean that our status as researchers is being undermined, especially if we are young and/or precarious. In this regard, under what circumstances are we prepared to form partnerships with actors with whom we or our interlocutors have an unequal power dynamic? How can we all work together to address these emerging trends in our fields?