NAVIGATING RURALITIES IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY RESEARCH: Reflections from Fieldwork in Complex Rural Settings

Abstract

Rural spaces are changing and increasing in complexity, with unique practical and methodological challenges for researchers. This complexity is partly due to the constant reconstitution of rural spaces materially and socially through micro and macro processes of social interaction. The interminable evolution of the ‘rural' and the associated complexity has implications on how rural geographies are (re)produced. This complexity further reinforces the need for continuous reflection on how human geographers can adapt our methodological approaches and tools to navigate prevailing and emerging challenges. Among the diverse fieldwork challenges geographers are confronted with is the daunting task of navigating the ‘outsider/insider' identity, socio-cultural norms and building trust. The evolution of new socio-political relations such as partisan politics and their deep embeddedness in the social fabric of rural communities further implies that geographers researching rural phenomena must consciously navigate their identities to establish trust with differently positioned rural dwellers. In this contribution, we provide a brief theoretical reflection on the implications of the ‘rural' as a constantly evolving socio-spatial construct for geographic research. We also draw upon our rich lived experiences with, and research in, diverse ruralities in Africa to highlight some of the challenges and complexities of doing research in rural settings. The discussion focuses on how particular challenges of rural research, including but not limited to those related to trust in outsider-community relations, positionality, and conflicts with socio-cultural norms, can be navigated. While the insights we share in this contribution are by no means intended to constitute a blueprint for rural research, we leverage practical encounters from rural case studies to contribute to and to stimulate the discussion on everyday challenges of doing fieldwork in complex rural areas and strategies for navigating these challenges.