In this course we explore ethnography - the methodology cultural anthropologist employ to understand human behavior, social structures and cultural meaning - both visible and invisible - in specific contexts.    This semester our class focused on what ethnography can reveal about the hidden labor of Duke Athletics. We approached our fieldwork from the individual level, working closely with employee collaborators to hear how they narrate their roles and lives. We learned about what is required to keep Duke Athletic programs running strong - on logistical, physical and emotional levels.

In 11 two person teams, we were paired with one employee collaborator in different athletics departments: field maintenance, equipment management, technology and facilities operation.  Over the course of October, we job shadowed and worked alongside our employees, learning about their lives, daily routines, and contributions to Duke Athletics programs.

We also had the pleasure this semester of partnering with an artistic collaborator - Allison Orr of Forklift Danceworks.  Allison is an ethnographic choreographer who makes large scale movement/music performances with essential workers.  With her guidance we did small scale performances of live and recorded spoken word and movement pieces.  These were presented along with a talk by Allison Orr at a public event at Duke, Labor into Dance, on Nov 19th, 2025.  This event, as well as support for the class was provided by the Department of Cultural Anthropology, Forum for Scholars and Publics, and Duke Service Learning.

Our website highlights some of the work we did over the course of the semester.  Each Team has a drop down menu above with pages displaying different kinds of data and analysis from "the field", which here refers to both the physical/conceptual place ethnographers go to do their fieldwork and the literal field of the Wallace Wade Football and other Athletic Fields at Duke.  On the pages you will see both raw data as well as creative presentations of this data which include: 

• photographs

•  audio and video clips 

• excerpts from field notes and quotes from interviews

• themes that emerged in our analysis

• "found poetry" derived from field notes, 

• soundscapes and creative video montages 

Ethnographic Teams

Reflections on Fieldwork

Along with learning a lot about the Wallace Wade Stadium and the invisible labor behind Duke Football and other Athletic Programs at Duke, students learned what it means to be good, ethical, ethnographer and what skills from fieldwork are transferable to other areas of their lives.  Recurring themes were attention, relationality and care:

"ethnography taught me not just to see, but how to see responsibly and how to let attention become a quiet form of care" -Peikun  

"ethnography isn't just about showing up with a notebook and firing off questions.  It's about building real relationships and respecting the people who let you into their world.  Ethnography is more about presence then performance." - V.J.

"ethnography requires patience, curiosity and humility.  You have to observe without jumping to  conclusions.  You have to listen without assuming you know someone's story." -    Chandler

“I learned deep listening - the kind that goes beyond waiting to respond. 

And I learned to ask better questions too, one that invited unexpected answers

rather than confirming something I already assumed." - Emmie

“The field teaches you to look at the world and the people around you.  In my future career as a doctor, and even just as a person who shares a world with others, these skills will be immensely useful, teaching me to deeply listen and understand the perspective of those around me." - Samantha

"I learned that ethnography is not just a simple snapshot. It is a practice of returning, noticing change, asking better questions, and building trust so people will share what they really think." -Semaj

“being able to appreciate minute human moments is beautiful and learning how to interact with others from the first conversation is essential.”  - Isabel

"fieldwork is slow.  You cannot rush it.  You have to be there long enough to see patterns, hear small details, and understand how people actually move through their day.  It is also about being honest with people and treating the stories they tell you with care."  - Moussa

 "I learned to embrace the reality that different things move different people." - Shaiyan

 "Fieldwork teaches you how to talk to people" - Blaine

"Ethnographic methodology is less about following rigid procedures and more about cultivating relationships and having an open mind to the world." - Destiny 

"Both fieldwork and medicine require the capacity to enter someone else's world with humility, to observe without judgment, and to recognize that every person has expertise about their own experience

that I must learn to understand and respect." - Maddie

"effective fieldwork requires recognizing the moments when participants should guide the direction of the project" - Luz

“I learned just how beautiful ethnography can be if you do it the right way and for the right reasons.” 

–Geymel