Expect the unexpected - that is research, and that is, of course, India. What the hell is happening in the picture to the right, for instance?! A farmer, at a gas station, with his purse out. But no agricultural vehicle, just a bicycle, not even a gas container, just a breakfast tiffin. Originally, I intended today's post to be about epistemological assumptions and analytical strategies: how to explore, how to generate new insights, and how to know if what we do is scientific? I intended to argue that we know it if it disturbs our everyday assumptions and commonplace knowledge, in particular commonplace knowledge of scholars. That being scientific is, at its core, being critical. Well, I can assure you: this picture disturbed my commonplace knowledge about gas stations thoroughly. But I can't make sense of it. I am sure I could write a rant about modernization theory, but to be honest, this seems unfair. The real world got me, I guess - it got me dumbfounded and silenced for today. Feel free to interpret the picture for me, in the comments box below - but I am off until next week, with a fresh attempt at understanding what is going on around me...
Raphael Susewind
Doctoral candidate (Universität Bielefeld) and Associate (University of Oxford)
Exploring Muslim belonging, the ambivalence of the sacred and diplomatic culture in India
Picture it!
September 29, 2011 - 00:35 — Sanne
:-D
My guess: buying petrol for a vehicle parked at home (or some sort of machine -stove? light? - that may work on petrol). He will bring home the purchase in plastic coke bottles in the bag that stands in front of him.
September 29, 2011 - 04:35 — Raphael Susewind
And I have in fact overlooked them - poorly trained ethnographic eye, I'd say... Indeed: there is even orange-ish liquid in them, and I am pretty sure its not coke...
October 16, 2011 - 08:46 — Raphael Susewind
Just a short update to this one: the story I actually wanted to tell continues here