FULFILLING COMMUNITY NEEDS THROUGH RESEARCH AND SERVICE: THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELD SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

Abstract

The Northwestern University Ethnographic Field School (EFS) was started in the early 1970s in order to offer undergraduate and early graduate students an opportunity to explore their affinity for fieldwork and gain firsthand experience with the conduct of original research. Operating on the Navajo Nation in the southwestern United States, this eight‐week program combines rigorous training in ethnographic methods with a cultural immersion experience requiring volunteer service in a Navajo nonprofit or governmental agency or organization. Students may choose from a wide variety of volunteer placements, including work with children, women at risk, seniors, Navajo cultural institutions, or community service agencies dealing with issues such as AIDS, infant and child nutrition, and residential programs for children and adults with disabilities. EFS emphasizes cross‐cultural understanding through direct service, immersion in the host community, and improvement of students' skills in ethnographic methods. Included in the curriculum is exposure to the ethical conduct of research, the practice of participatory action research, and collaboration with Navajo mentors, as well as teachings on Navajo history and culture, and an introduction to the Navajo language.