Ac i is an h opology
as acul i a ing o pa icipan obse a ion.
Hube mikołaj Tubacki
ABSTRACT
The ex desc ibes aconside a ion o ac i is an h opology, which I ea as an ex ension o pa ici-
pan obse a ion. I s ems om and builds upon he me hodological eclec icism o an h opology/
e hnology. Fo me, ac i is an h opology is he closes o he o iginal p emise o pa icipan obse -
a ion because in his iew he esea che ’s pa icipa ion is possibly closes o ha o he esea ch
pa ne s. Ip esen he heo e ical ounda ions on which i is based and he ci cums ances o my e-
sea ch-ac i is p ac ice in which my in e p e a ion o i was de eloped. Idemons a e in he ex i s
ea u es ha ein o ce he need o dis inguish he e m ac i is an h opology as aspeci ic p ac ice
o pa icipa o y obse a ion and an h opology i sel .
KEYWORDS:
ac i is an h opology, e hnog aphy, pa icipan obse a ion, ac i ism, ield esea ch, me hod.
Among an h opology/e hnology ins i u es ac oss Poland, we ha e s uden s who a e
ascina ed by he ield and a e looking o hei way o doing an h opology and be-
yond, as each o us nego ia es ou posi ion and ole in socie y. The nex gene a ions
a e mo e and mo e engaged in social ac i i y and y o ind hemsel es as ci izens
in Polish/Eu opean socie y. Young esea che s, sea ching o hei pa h, ge in o-
duced o he eali y o uni e si y, poin s and g an s. They y o make hei own pa hs
h ough s uden ci cles, uni e si y ins i u ions, g an s and hei own esea ch. This
ex is an a emp o con ey my esponse o he sea ch o my pa h in ou ield, which
g ew ou o a econside a ion o pa icipan obse a ion, o which ac i is an h o-
pology is aspeci ic o m o cul i a ion.
Me hodological app oaches in ou ield ha e changed o e ime. In Poland, he
imes when B onisław Malinowski was called he ‘chain dog o impe ialism’ (see
Jasiewicz 2004), and we unc ioned only as an auxilia y science o his o y wi hin he
‘his o y o ma e ial cul u e’ (Pose n-Zieliński 2005: 114), a e, om he pe spec i e
o he young gene a ion o an h opologis s, long gone, and pa icipan obse a ion
as de ined by B onisław Malinowski is he basis wi h which we in oduce s uden s
al eady in he i s semes e o hei s udies. Bu s ill, as in he pas , we mus igh o
ou discipline’s subjec i i y. Figh ing o emancipa ion and no pe cei ing an h o-
pology only as ahis o ical discipline. Due o poli ical changes, we ha e been classi-
ied in o a uzzy ca ego y (no included in he OECD classi ica ions) o “cul u al and
eligious sciences”. The Polish ca ego iza ion is e y a om OECD and diminishes
he subjec i i y o ou scien i ic discipline. Despi e many p o es ac ions and sup-
po om o eign o ganiza ions and au ho i ies om a ound he wo ld (see Dohnal
2018), his change came in o e ec and we ha e come o unc ion in his eali y. Ou
weapons o weakness emain e o s o maximize he p ese a ion o ou e hnonym,
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an h opology (see Buchowski 2020), and o con inue o de elop and dissemina e
knowledge abou ou discipline.
One such e o migh be o main ain he indi idual iden i y o ou discipline by
highligh ing ou me hodology and how i con ibu es o ans o ming e hics, epis-
emology, and heo y. An h opology is no longe dis inguished by “wha do we e-
sea ch?” as con empo a y esea ch ields a e explo ed by many di e en academic
disciplines. The dis inguishing ea u e o an h opology emains “how do we e-
sea ch?” h ough he p ac ice o e hnog aphy (Kaczma ek 2016: 125). Speci ically,
p ac icing pa icipan obse a ion, i possible in o mal obse a ion, and pa icipa -
ing in he ac i i ies o ou esea ch pa ne s, du ing which we a e becoming pa
o he p ac ices being pe o med. When du ing pa icipan obse a ion ou sel es,
we can ha dly dis inguish be ween he esea che obse ing he pa icipan and
he pa icipan s anymo e. This c ea es aunique space o assimila ing in o ma ion
ha s ems om he unique na u e o an h opological ela ionships be ween people.
The basis o hese e lec ions is my esea ch-ac i is p ac ice, which in 2018 I o-
cused on engaging wi h g oups suppo ing Obóz dla Klima u, which was jus ge ing
o ganized. The e, o he i s ime, Io e ly ac ed as a esea ch-ac i is who became
pa o he g oup and was mo e o en seen, and s ill is, as an ac i is who is a e-
sea che a he han a esea che en e ing he g oup. Iwas ape son who was inc eas-
ingly enmeshed in in e pe sonal ela ionships. This made me pa o ansna ional
ac i is ne wo ks as a esea che -ac i is . Thus, be ween 2018 and 2020, Ihad he
oppo uni y o co- ound he ollowing g oups Miesiąc dla Kima u, Obóz dla Klima u,
Limi s jsme my and Ende Gelände. They all i in o he ca ego y o “new social mo e-
men s” (Della Po a, Diani 2009; Paleczny 2010) used o desc ibe New Yo k’s Occupy
Wall S ee o Spain’s Indignados mo emen (see Rozalska 2015). “New” mo emen s,
in con as o “old” mo emen s es ablished in he 19 h cen u y (socialis and commu-
nis ), p ima ily unde ake ecological, eminis , paci is , an i-nuclea ac i i ies and
de end human igh s including mino i y igh s. Miesiąc dla Kima u ope a e mainly in
Poland, Limi y jsme my in he Czech Republic, and Ende Gelände— he mos nume -
ous and known o o ganizing ci il disobedience ac ions— in Ge many. Limi y jsme
my and Obóz dla Klima u a e mainly in ol ed in o ganizing clima e camps, i.e. mee -
ings o ac i is s ha some imes u n in o ac s o ci il disobedience, while Miesiąc dla
Kima u is ag oup ha unc ions only o asho pe iod o ime in o de o encou age
he esiden s o Poznań and i s su oundings o become ac i is s and ge in ol ed
in he o ganiza ion o he clima e camp. Each collec i e iden i ies i sel as an i-coal,
an i-capi alis , and an i- ascis , ma king he insepa abili y o hese h ee demands.
While co-c ea ing hese g oups, we o med speci ic ela ionships ha buil mu-
ual us , which became he basis o he bond ha de eloped be ween us. As ime
wen by, my ac i i y became mo e and mo e in ol ed. Howe e , Is ill emained in
akind o liminal zone— Iwas someone be ween esea che , ac i is and iend. This
is ap oblem expe ienced by many esea che s who go deeply in o he ield. They
each o a a ie y o me hods o deal wi h his si ua ion. I ound i help ul o e lec
on ac i is an h opology. The o igins o ac i is an h opology can be aced back o
1977, when Paul Rabinow (2010) poin ed ou ha he e a e no “p imi i e people,”
bu human beings who li e di e en ly. Howe e , his obse a ion, now qui e ob i-
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ous, was s ill a om being equa ed wi h he people among whom we conduc ou
esea ch. Essen ial o he eme gence o ac i is an h opology was ac i ical e lec-
ion on he en i e esea ch p ocess, om he p ocess o cons i u ing e hnog aphic
au ho i y (Caplan, Knowledge 1992) and esea che au ho i y (Gee z 2000; Cli o d
2000) o he ole o ex (Cli o d, Ma cus 1986; Ma cus, Fische 1986). An addi ional
inspi a ion o he eme gence o ac i is an h opology was he con ibu ion o eco-
nomic an h opology and i s c i ical app oach o he ma ke economy and consump-
ion. Ma cell Mauss (2001), Ma shall Sahlins (2003), and Ca l Polanyi (2010) played
an in aluable ole he e, c ea ing space o he an h opologis o engage wi h g oups
ha cons uc hei local poli ical on ologies in non-schema ic ways (Escoba 2008;
2011; Casas-Co es, Os e weil, and Powell 2013) and o engage wi h ac i is s in he
s uggle o global jus ice (G aebe 2009). All o hese wo ks no only help o imagine
he wo lds desc ibed, bu also d aw he con ex necessa y o unde s and hem (see
Demme , Hummel 2017).
Du ing my esea ch-ac i is p ac ice, I eached o he me hodological sugges-
ions in Aga a Hummel’s (2017) a icle, which is de o ed o he sea ch o a esea ch
pe spec i e ha allows o he bes possible g asp o he issue o ac i ism. Al hough
Ido no sha e all o he au ho ’s hough s, a e all, ou pe spec i es we e o en di -
e en , jus as my unde s anding o ac i is an h opology is di e en , Ine e heless
ound he wo k e y inspi ing.
In my iew, ac i is an h opology is an ex ension o pa icipan obse a ion.
When we s ep in o he ole o esea che -ac i is , we do no s op a pa icipa ing in
he li es o ou esea ch pa ne s and lea ning om hem, bu we also s ep in o o he
oles. Toge he wi h he people om whom we would o dina ily ob ain in o ma ion,
we c ea e new social ela ionships, aking an ac i is and some imes e en leade -
ship ole in hem. This speci ic bond be ween esea ch pa ne s and he esea che
p omp s he sea ch o ape spec i e ha can mo e app op ia ely ame he issue
o ac i ism. This is due, among o he hings, o he disillusionmen wi h “con en-
ional” e hnog aphic me hods, especially he powe ela ionship be ween esea ch
pa ne s and esea che s. This p oblem was al eady poin ed ou by Paul Rabinow in
Re lec ions on Field Resea ch in Mo occo when he ealized ha om he posi ion o
powe o he esea che , he was p ac icing symbolic iolence agains his in o man s
(Rabinow 2010: 115).
My esea ch si ua ion was ali le di e en . When Ien e ed ag oup ha was jus
o ming, Ialways communica ed wha Idid and why Idecided o wo k wi h hem.
Idid no en e he exis ing s uc u e o he g oup, as i was jus being o med, in
which p ocess Iac i ely pa icipa ed. My “e hnog aphic imme sion” deepened e e y
day, some imes e en u ning in o “d owning”— e e y day Iwas looded om all
sides wi h new in o ma ion and expe iences, which in p ac ice made i impossible o
g adually “en e ” he ield, because i was being c ea ed a ound me. New people we e
joining he g oup, new ela ionships we e o ming, and Iwas ac i ely pa icipa ing
in all o his. In such asi ua ion, esea ch pa ne s became my collabo a o s, who did
no expec om me any commi ed ac ion o speci ic knowledge as a o m o “pay-
men ” o in o ma ion. Ou ela ionship did no ake he o m o a ansac ion, bu
o apa ne ship. In o ma ion was o he asking, and ac ion on behal o he g oup
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became adu y. A imes, Iwas expec ed o ake he ini ia i e because Iwas seen as one
o he g oup leade s. Fo example, du ing one o he wo kshops, apa icipan said a
he o um ha she el uncom o able ha ing o speak be o e hose she conside ed o
be g oup leade s did, poin ing o me and wo o he emale ac i is s. This allowed me
o see ha jus as in social li e poli ics changes and hides unde many masks, akes
di e en o ms and is exp essed h ough di e en discou ses and p ac ices, so oo
does my ole in he communi y Iha e chosen o explo e, and ha Imay unexpec edly
be assigned aleade ship ole. This is a a di e en si ua ion om being an obse e ,
e en apa icipan obse e .
P ac icing ac i is an h opology and some imes playing aleade ship ole had i s
nega i e consequences. A i s , I el oo com o able and included alo o in o ma-
ion ha did no con ibu e much o he analysis o he phenomenon i sel , bu which
migh ha e endange ed my esea ch pa ne s. A e e lec ion and consul a ion wi h
o he ac i is esea che s, Iwas able o a oid his dange and decided o emo e some
da a om he inal e sion o he ex . Idid he same wi h my esea ch no es and
jou nals, mos o which Idecided o des oy while esea ching and w i ing he pa-
pe . Idecided o ake such a adical s ep because he g oups Idesc ibed a e o en
ea ed by go e nmen s o o he ins i u ions as poli ical h ea s, ana chis s, le is s,
eco- e o is s, e c. Some o my esea ch pa ne s we e he e o e conce ned abou he
poli ical and economic impac o hese g oups. Some o my esea ch pa ne s ha e
been ep essed by he police and o he se ices because o his— hey ha e been
held in police s a ions and police ca s o in imida e hem, some imes aken o cou ,
ha assed by summonses o ques ioning, and epea edly ca ded. Addi ionally, se e al
o my iends we e assaul ed by membe s o a - igh g oups. Gi en hei expe i-
ences, Idecided o des oy he eco ds so ha he in o ma ion hey con ained would
no endange he li es, heal h, and eedom o my esea ch pa ne s.
Ibegan my ield no es in he classic manne . Iassigned codes o pseudonyms o
my esea ch pa ne s, bu wi h ime Iabandoned his me hod. This happened when
du ing ou con e sa ions he opic o police su eillance came up. My pa ne s men-
ioned wi e aps and unde co e o ice s in unma ked police ca s appea ing a hei
homes. One pe son was assaul ed and se e ely bea en, and his ca was andalized.
A i s , Idownplayed his in o ma ion, bu a e wo king wi h hem o awhile, Ibe-
gan o expe ience wha Iwas being old. Iexpe ienced he i s ins ance o adis-
u bed sense o secu i y while a aclima e camp. Iwas pho og aphed by policemen
in unma ked police ca s, and Iwas epea edly accos ed and asked many ques ions
in amanne ha was a om pleasan . The a mosphe e o pe manen su eillance
was in ensi ied by any anomalies in he ope a ion o phones including emo e ac i a-
ion o Wi-Fi, da a ans e , blue oo h and mic ophones. Du ing my ac i is - esea ch
p ac ice, Iwas also sea ched and ca ded by uni o med se ices, and e en ually Ialso
expe ienced di ec iolence om police assaul squads1. Iwas inally pe suaded o
abandon he classic e hnog aphic in e iew as a esea ch ool by he eac ion o my
1 Iuse he e he colloquial e m police assaul uni s o desc ibe he uni s in Poland called
Oddziały P ewencji Policji (OPP) o Samodzielne Pododdziały P ewencji Policji (SPPP), in Ge -
many Be ei scha spolizei and in he Czech Republic Speciální Pořádko é Jedno ky.
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pa ne s, who seemed o eel uncom o able du ing he in e iews. No so much be-
cause o he in o ma ion hey p o ided, bu because hey ea ed ha i was being
kep in one place, whe he in he o m o an audio eco ding o adi ional no es. Re-
co ding in-dep h in e iews o biog aphical in e iews wi h ac i is s whose ac i i-
ies cons an ly expose hem o legal consequences o a acks om poli ical opponen s
could ha e c ea ed an addi ional dange i he in o ma ion ob ained du ing hem
was s o ed in a o m o he han in he memo y o a us ed pe son. In o de o a oid
his, and wi h a iew o mu ual us , du ing he esea ch I esigned om eco ding
con e sa ions, limi ing mysel o necessa y no es. Consequen ly, Isome imes needed
o ask he same ques ions epea edly in o de o emembe he answe s well. Thank-
ully, Iknew Icould coun on hei unde s anding and app ecia ion o espec ing
hei ules and p i acy. Du ing my esea ch among clima e ac i is s, Ihad o lea n an
addi ional skill o e ec i ely p o ec my p i acy and hei s. I u ned ou ha using
a a ie y o enc yp ed communica o s was use ul o his. In addi ion, Ialso lea ned
o dis inguish be ween in o ma ion ha should low h ough one channel o ano he
and hose ha can be sen h ough Facebook o as a egula SMS message. Ialso ound
i necessa y o egula ly check all in o ma ion sha ing pla o ms in o de o s ay up
o da e wi h he g oups’ ac i i ies. Ano he habi Ide eloped was o s op ca ying my
phone wi h me a all imes. A e jus one week o communi y li e, Is opped walk-
ing a ound he apa men wi h my sma phone in my hand, awa e ha his could
con ibu e o dis up ing mee ings whose pa icipan s wan ed o be su e o keep he
mee ings comple ely con iden ial.
The e hical choices Imade du ing my esea ch we e he esul o he si ua ions
Iexpe ienced and my c i ical e lec ion on hem. I seems o me ha his is ine i able
in he wo k o an an h opologis . Ope a ing in such a luid en i onmen as social li e
equi es acons an willingness o change, o e ise esea ch goals and me hods and
ools, and awillingness o change onesel in one’s in e ac ions wi h o he s, especially
commi men . Ibelie e ha p ac i ione s o an h opology, as always, should c ea e
s anda ds and se anew cou se o he es o science.
We need he in ol emen o academics in esea ch, ela ions, local and global ac-
i i ies o as e e o m and ans o ma ion. The aloo esea che who desc ibes and
analyzes eali y wi hou e ealing his expe iences and emo ions should e en ually
u n in o awi he ed b anch o he an h opological me hodological ee, and e en s
like he ones desc ibed below a e hank ully ading away.
One young esea che speaking a apopula science e en abou he expe iences
and di icul emo ions ela ed o he ield ecoun ed he eques s o he supe iso
o help in me hodologically dealing wi h he emo ions and ela ionships wi h he
esea ch pa ne s. To ques ions and eques s o help as o wha a i ude o adop
when he bond be ween he esea che and he pa ne s igh ened, she hea d like
aman a ha she should dis ance he sel as ade e minan o he esea che ’s
p o essionalism.
We should eplace dis ancing wi h e lec ion on he esea ch p ocess and in-dep h
au oe hnog aphy, which is e y use ul du ing he la e analysis o he collec ed ma-
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e ial, because we should emembe ha he basic ool is he esea che himsel , and
many ac o s in luence his pe cep ion o he eali y in which we ha e come o p ac-
ice an h opology. Iam eady o p opose he hesis ha p ac icing an h opology is
insepa able om engagemen . Iha e no me an an h opologis /an h opologis who
was no engaged in he social issue being explo ed. Whe he i be social mo emen s,
olk c a s, belie s, o consump ion. Whe he he me hods he an h opologis /an h o-
pologis uses a e e hical is ano he ma e . In addi ion, he ques ion o e hics is no
clea ly unde s ood in ou en i onmen , o one esea che i will be e hical o decla e
himsel as a esea che in ag oup while eco ding con e sa ions wi hou knowledge
and s o ing hem on enc yp ed disks and an a mo ed close , he o he will suppo
his g oup, consul he con en o he ex s o many mon hs, e en a he expense o
he smoo h de elopmen o his own ca ee . We a e o ced o ace many dilemmas in
asys em in en on accoun abili y and echnologies disciplining ou wo k (see Sho e
2008) ocused on p o i and pa hological con ol o academic e ec i eness, in e ec
dis ancing he uni e si y om socie y.
This makes us ace no only he “me hodological eclec icism” ha Aleksande
Pose n-Zieliński (2005) spoke o , bu also an e hical one, which may u he dis ance
us om aconsensus a ound wha ou discipline is. Despi e he many di e ences in
esea ch app oaches si ua ed be ween su ey esea ch and pa icipan obse a ion
(see Kaczma ek 2016), we s i e o c ea e acommuni y ha suppo s each o he ,
g ows, and e icien ly mobilizes in si ua ions ele an o ou discipline. I is on such
g ound ha an ac i is an h opology is p oduced ha seeks o combine he “di e -
en ” in o he “cohe en .”
Ac i is an h opology can be classi ied as aspeci ic o m o engaged an h opology.
Howe e , his ime Iwill s a wi h e hical issues. Fo he pu poses o his ex , Iwill
no a emp o de ine wha an h opology is, bu Iwill poin ou ha an h opology/
e hnology as ascien i ic discipline gi es you he ools and, i you a e lucky, he p e-
disposi ion o look a he wo ld, connec ions, ela ions, pe sons, and e e y hing non-
human in aspeci ic way. Ac i is an h opology is aspeci ic kind o e hical app oach
in which we conside e hical beha io owa ds ou sel es and Science mo e han o-
wa ds ou esea ch pa ne s, because aking ca e o hem is an unques ionable p i-
o i y. One could del e in o di isions o e engage, engage, applied, public, p ac ical,
collabo a ed an h opology ha a emp o de ine and delinea e engaged an h opol-
ogy and conside shades o meaning o he e m “engagemen .” In his ex , Ido no
p e end o ace he ne wo k o connec ions be ween science and ac i ism (see Bae
2014). A his s age o conside a ion, i su ices o assume ha he dis inc i eness o
his app oach is dis inguished by he esea che -ac i is mindse , he desi e o en-
gage, apply, p ac ice, b ing change o educa e while main aining he desi e o pu sue
cogni ion. In i s essence, ac i is an h opology seeks o connec . The e o e, o he
sake o cla i y o message, le me no engage in ade ailed discussion o he pa icu-
la s o he e olu iona y b anch om which i de i es. Wha we should ocus on is
he ac ha h ough p ac ice i connec s heo ies, me hods, and academic conside -
a ions/deba es by d awing hem back o he human being. I connec s he esea che
and he ac i is in human beings. So does he obse e and he w i e . Connec ing in
ac ion— his is how ac i is an h opology can be summed up. Howe e , o es alling
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66 STUDIA ETHNOLOGICA PRAGENSIA 1/2022
he accusa ion ha ac i is an h opology is no hing mo e han he ac i ism o he
an h opologis , Iwould like o u he demons a e i s ea u es ha ein o ce he
need o he e m.
1. Fi s , ac i is an h opology eme ges om he need o cogni ion as ame hod o
in-dep h analysis o social phenomenon, which seems o be closes o he o iginal
p emise o pa icipan obse a ion.
2. I ul ils he ole o an academic eaching ou o socie y, o a he no lea ing so-
cie y, who uses his o he skills o ex end he deba e abou he u u e shape o
socie y beyond he walls o he uni e si y. This is whe e Isee he di icul y in
main aining he pe cep ion o ou ac i i ies as academic. Wha is needed is he
a en i eness o main ain ac i ical app oach o he obse ed eali y and he abil-
i y o e lec on he obse ed eali y.
3. He e comes he dange o no e lec ing on he subjec because o he in ol emen
in he ac i i y. In o de o p e en his, we need ade ailed au oe hnog aphy as an
immanen pa o ac i is an h opology, which allows us o e lec mo e ully on
he human being in he analysis, no he o he , bu ou sel es. I allows us o a oid
he accusa ions o he p e ious cen u y o wha Elsie Clews Pa sons called in he
p ac ice “p opaganda h ough e hnog aphic me hod” (F iedlande 1988: 286).
4. By openly communica ing ou ole in he ac i is communi y we c ea e space o
e lec ion, c i ique, de elopmen , and imp o emen o he unc ioning and sus-
ainabili y o he mo emen o communi y. O en h ough in o mal in e iews
ha ake he o m o long discussions we can ind ques ions ha help o o e come
o en undisclosed p oblems wi hin amo emen o communi y.
5. In his app oach, he An h opologis /An h opologis appea s as an “expe in ask-
ing ques ions”, she gi es anew cou se o e en s o he eali y wi hin which she/
he appea s.
In his app oach o he p ac ice o an h opology, he esea che does no me ely de-
sc ibe a ound social eali y. He/she becomes pa o i and akes esponsibili y o
his/he ac ions and he social ole he/she plays. Assuming ha an h opology is akind
o se o social-in ellec ual ai s which make up he p edisposi ion which we a e en-
dowed wi h in he educa ional p ocess— his p edisposi ion allows us o look a he
su ounding socie y in adi e en way— i becomes ou du y o use ou skills no
only o accumula e knowledge, bu also o make p esen analyses, ac i ely pa icipa -
ing in he de elopmen o g oups and ying o use he p e iously acqui ed knowl-
edge o he bene i o he wide public. Such ac i i ies can ake coun less di e en
o ms and Isee he possibili y o using i no only in wo king wi h ac i is g oups.
We can use ou skills o wha my esea ch pa ne s ha e called apa h o abe e u-
u e when esea ching he i age, mig a ion, gende , amily, powe , and Isee no limi
he e e en when esea ching wi h g oups e y dis an om us in e ms o wo ld iew
(see Filip 2015)— ou e y p esence in such ag oup c ea es aspace o dialogue ha
is apa h o abe e u u e.
Ido no belie e ha ac i is an h opology is auni e sal ool. Some imes access o
ag oup is so limi ed (see Filip 2015a) ha o he people a e unwilling o alk o us, and
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HUbERT mIKOłAJ TUbACKI 67
he p ospec o deepe dialogue wi h he g oup becomes impossible. Some imes ou
esea ch akes a o m in which he e is no di ec con ac wi h li e indi iduals, and he
ield is unde s ood in mul iple ways (see Buliński, Kai ski 2011). We s udy he con en
o he In e ne and he ac ions o people ac i e in i , bu despi e he appa en lack o
con ac “wi h li ing people,” he e is also space he e o apply ac i is an h opology.
In some g oups, communica ion h ough con empo a y communica ion me hods
becomes he p ima y way o in e ac ing, and jus as lea ning he local language was
once he basis o unde s anding, now he acquisi ion o new and e y di e se com-
munica ion me hods and ools akes asimila o m. Isee apa icula space o he
use o ac i is an h opology du ing ne wo ked esea ch among g oups engaged in
open-sou ce in elligence (OSINT). In his ega d, he skills o people who ha e gone
h ough an h opological educa ion u n ou o be ex emely use ul and imp o e he
ac i i ies o such g oups.
Finally, whe he we decide o p ac ice ac i is an h opology o choose ano he
pa h o an h opological p ac ice, he inal decisions we make abou he ma e ial we
collec emain in ou hands. We unc ion in a eali y in which con en — mos o -
en con ained in a ex , some imes in a ilm, an exhibi ion, o some o he medium
h ough which we communica e he ui s o ou delibe a ions on an issue— is he
culmina ion o ou wo k, and i is in he wo k on con en ha he inal di icul y
o no c ossing he hin line be ween schola ly ex and p opaganda. The decision
is always ou s, bu he e, in addi ion o all he p e iously men ioned ools (includ-
ing au oe hnog aphy), e iew wo k is essen ial. Re iewe s ex emely o en seem o
be beli led especially in aneo-libe al poin sco ing eali y ocusing on accoun abil-
i y, compe i ion in he name o quali y, e iciency, glo i ica ion o excellence, cul o
managemen and p omises o economic success (Hal man, Radde 2015: 165–173).
This sys em does no g a i y mu ual suppo among academics and ac i i ies o he
common good. The c i ical eye o a e iewe less emo ionally in es ed in he esea ch
ma e ial and con en o ou wo k o en helps o look c i ically a ou analysis and
in e p e a ion, and i is o en he one ha ensu es he cla i y o he a gumen and i s
accessibili y. Howe e , i is ano he issue ha conce ns ou ac i ism wi hin he acad-
emy and ou e ec i e in luence on legisla ion. This is a e y impo an issue ha s ill
needs alo o wo k and engagemen om he en i e academic communi y, de ini ely
dese ing o discussion in asepa a e a icle.
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