MINUTES
Present: Flavia AGNES (full member), Eric DENIS (IFP – acting director), Livia HOLDEN (team leader), Tommaso SBRICCOLI (full member), Sylvia VATUK (full member), Daniela NERI (photographer), Marius HOLDEN (filmmaker)
Agenda
10:00 – 10:30 Introductions and greetings by Eric Denis and Livia Holden
10:30 – 11:00 Jamgod and Jarra (Madhya Pradesh) by Tommaso Sbriccoli
11:00 – 11:30 Delhi by Sylvia Vatuk
11:30 – 12:00 Mumbai by Flavia Agnes
12:00 – 13:00 Discussion
15:00- 15:30 Piparsod, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Bhopal, Lahore, Karachi and UK by Livia Holden
15:30 – 17:30 Brainstorming on activities and outcomes
Aims and Scope
– Defining the theoretical framework of our research
– Reporting on the 1st year activity
– Planning fieldwork
– Planning activities
– Planning outcomes
We started with a general discussion regarding the ethnomethodological approach of the project to see how we can combine our different contexts, background, and fieldworks in view to carry out fieldwork that is not mere replication in different geographic areas.
We all had queries:
– Flavia was wondering whether the fact of being a lawyer and a social activist in the first place would not prevent her from making a significant contribution
– Sylvia was wondering about how to productively schedule her fieldwork given the high cost of her travel and the higher fee deducted by sender at each installment
– Tommaso was worried that his own gender may hinder access to women’s issues
– Livia was wondering whether it would not be appropriate to enlarge whenever possible the scope of the research in order to include a transnational dimension
We presented our fieldwork sites and plans and exchanged advice on appropriate contacts and bibliography
Decisions
1. Fieldwork
Whenever possible but within the limitation of productive access and outcomes we will look at South Asia in a transnational perspective instead of limiting our focus to India only. Fieldwork will be concentrated in the second year of the project (2012) especially for Sylvia who travels from the United States. The year 2013 will be dedicated to finalize the outcomes that should be all in print by the end of the calendar year. However, if necessary short visits to the field will still be possible, especially for the participants in easy reach from the field.
2. Activities
2.1 Team Website to be linked with IFP page and Jaques Berques page with secured platform only accessible to members and public platform accessible to anyone.
2.2 Bibliographic survey to be regularly updated and to be published by the end of 2012 (a preliminary version will be available with the detailed report).
2.3 Next Team workshop to be held at IFP or alternatively in Mumbai at Majlis or in Lahore at LUMS. (temporary date – around the end of October 2011)
2.4 Conferences: Law and Society Conference 2012 (pending funds external to Andromaque)
2.5 Filming as participatory research (see detailed report)
3 Outcomes (see detailed reports)
3.1 Individual papers that can also be published in the collected volume/s of the bigger project
3.2 Co-Authored book by Agnes, Holden, Sbriccoli and Vatuk
3.3 Edited book by Agnes, Holden, Sbriccoli and Vatuk and with invited contributions by other authors
3.4 Ethnographic film
The meeting concluded at the restaurant La Promenade with a note of thanks to all the participants and especially to IFP (Social Sciences Department) that hosted this workshop.