Significant scholarship exists on anthropological fieldwork and methodologies. Some anthropologists have also published memoirs of their research experiences. Renowned anthropologist Jeffrey Cohen's Eating Soup without a Spoon is a first-of-its-kind hybrid of the two, expertly melding story with methodology to create a compelling narrative of fieldwork that is deeply grounded in anthropological theory.

Cohen's first foray into fieldwork was in 1992, when he lived in Santa Anna del Valle in rural Oaxaca, Mexico. While recounting his experiences studying how rural folks adapted to far-reaching economic changes, Cohen is candid about the mistakes he made and the struggles in the village. From the pressures of gaining the trust of a population to the fear of making errors in data collection, Cohen explores the intellectual processes behind ethnographic research. He offers tips for collecting data, avoiding pitfalls, and embracing the chaos and shocks that come with working in an unfamiliar environment. Cohen's own photographs enrich his vivid portrayals of daily life.

In this groundbreaking work, Cohen discusses the adventure, wonder, community, and friendships he encountered during his first year of work, but, first and foremost, he writes in service to the field as a place to do research: to test ideas, develop theories, and model how humans cope and react to the world.

"This is a significant contribution to the field. I cannot think of another book quite like it." -- Walter E. Little, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director, Institute for Mesoamerican Studies, SUNY-Albany, and author of Mayas in the Marketplace: Tourism, Globalization, and Cultural Identity

About the Author
Jeffrey H. Cohen is a professor of anthropology at the Ohio State University. He is the author of several books, including Cultures of Migration: The Global Nature of Contemporary Mobility and The Culture of Migration in Southern Mexico.


Book Information
ISBN 9781477307823
Author Jeffrey H. Cohen
Format Paperback
Page Count 197
Imprint University of Texas Press
Publisher University of Texas Press
Weight(grams) 286g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 25mm