Our group is for fieldwork-base researcher in anthropology, sociology, popular culture, political science, media studies and related fields. We are now in our 18th year.

This is a group for younger researchers currently in the field, usually doing the data collection for their dissertation. In order to keep numbers down, we are now in our closed format, limiting participation to regular members. This enables us to work more in depth and to circulate papers, chapters or proposals for comment and discussion.

We have a number of different functions:
1. To share methodological knowledge and techniques around our fieldwork, eg., writing better fieldnotes, improving interview techniques, developing networking and data management strategies, etc.
2. To share published theoretical and ethnographic work on different aspects of our research.
3. To present work in progress to a closed small group of researchers working on different topics--a chance to get some perspective without getting engulfed in our own fieldwork.
4. To aid in professionalization, eg, working with your home committee, getting grant information, putting together panels for conferences, etc

We usually meet once a month, depending upon the particular members' schedules, and go out for a meal or beer afterward.

If you are interesting in joining this iteration, please contact me directly (d.h.slater@gmail.com) with a short bio and description about your research.

Sincerely,
David Slater

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David H. Slater, Ph.D.
Director of the Institute of Comparative Culture
Professor of Cultural Anthropology
Faculty of Liberal Arts, Graduate Program in Japanese Studies
Sophia University, Tokyo