24 APR 2026 (FRI) 11:00-11:15

15 hours ago
1 min read

HKU GEOGRAPHY: Monthly Research Talks

Companionship as Practice: Rethinking Fieldwork in Conflicted Contexts

Date: 24 APR 2026 (Friday)

Time: 11:00-11:15 (HKT)

Via Zoom: https://hku.zoom.us/j/98300713382?pwd=dGdqelhpWUwyOENmTUJyalVKemtHQT09

(No registration required)

Abstract:

This presentation reflects on the ethical reconsideration of fieldwork within an ongoing doctoral project in the Indian Himalayas. In response to a context of social unrest, the research shifted from prioritising data collection to foregrounding companionship, care, and relational responsibility. Rather than proceeding with structured fieldwork, the decision to accompany collaborators without extraction redefined the field as a site of ethical presence. This approach unsettles normative expectations of productivity and timelines in academia, raising broader questions about how fieldwork is valued and institutionalised. It argues for rethinking fieldwork as a relational and situated practice requiring temporal flexibility, moral accountability, and reflexive care in the production of geographical knowledge.