The ethnographic novel as activist mode of existence: translating the field with homeless people and beyond

Abstract

The paper argues in favour of creative methodologies as tool for relevant academic praxis. It provides the analysis of a concrete case in which a non-academic text – a composite book made of a participant’s introduction, an ethnographic novel, 21 graphic illustrations and a political essay – allowed for a meaningful re-appropriation of a fieldwork with homeless people in Italy. Such re-appropriation is understood and theorized as a research-activist ‘mode of existence’, namely as a way to use creative methodologies to pursue active and emancipatory engagement with vulnerable groups. The paper analyses this ‘mode of existence’ as a process made of several ‘translations’, or orientations towards the same interests, and it clearly shows the role of non-human agencies in their unfolding. Through its more-than-human narrative, the paper provides an innovative contribution to debates on research-activism and a new reflection on how to engage meaningfully with vulnerable groups. The conclusion highlights areas of improvement to further strengthen the activist-research mode of existence presented in the paper.

Résumé

Cet article défend les méthodologies créatives en tant qu’outil pour les pratiques universitaires pertinentes. Il fournit l’analyse d’un cas concret où un texte non-universitaire – un livre d’assemblages comprenant l’introduction d’un participant, un roman ethnographique, 21 illustrations graphiques et un essai politique – a permis la réappropriation importante d’un travail sur le terrain avec des personnes sans-abri en Italie. Une telle réappropriation est comprise et théorisée en tant que « mode d’existence » de recherche activiste, c’est-à-dire comme une façon d’utiliser les méthodologies créatives pour poursuivre un engagement actif et émancipatoire auprès des groupes vulnérables. L’article analyse ce « mode d’existence » comme un processus fait de plusieurs « traductions », ou une orientation vers les mêmes intérêts et il démontre clairement le rôle des facteurs non-humains dans leur déroulement. A travers son récit plus-qu’humain, cet article fournit une contribution innovatrice aux débats sur la recherche de l’activisme et une nouvelle réflexion sur la façon de communiquer de manière significative avec les groupes vulnérables. La conclusion met en avant les domaines d’amélioration pour renforcer encore davantage le mode d’existence de la recherche activiste présenté dans cet article.

Resumen

En el documento se argumenta a favor de metodologías creativas como herramientas para la praxis académica relevante. Se proporciona el análisis de un caso concreto en el que un texto no académico – un libro compuesto de la introducción de un participante, una novela etnográfica, 21 ilustraciones gráficas y un ensayo político – permitió una significativa re-apropiación de un trabajo de campo con personas sin hogar en Italia. Tal re-apropiación se entiende y se teoriza como un ‘modo de existencia’ activista en la investigación, es decir, como una manera de utilizar metodologías creativas para buscar un compromiso activo y emancipador con grupos vulnerables. El documento analiza este ‘modo de existencia’ como un proceso compuesto de varias ‘traducciones’, u orientación hacia los mismos intereses, y muestra claramente el papel de los organismos no humanos en su despliegue. A través de su narrativa más que humana, el documento proporciona una contribución innovadora a los debates sobre el activismo en la investigación y una nueva reflexión sobre la forma de participar de manera significativa con grupos vulnerables. La conclusión destaca las áreas de mejora para fortalecer aún más el modo de existencia activista en la investigación presentado en el documento.

Keywords:

• Translation
• creative methods
• ethnographic fiction
• homelessness
• mode of existence
• activism

Mots clés:

• Traduction
• méthodes créatives
• fiction ethnographique
• sans-abri
• mode d’existence
• activisme

Palabras clave:

• Traducción
• Métodos creativos
• Ficción etnográfica
• Falta de vivienda
• Modo de existencia
• Activismo

Acknowledgements

I want to dedicate this paper to Pancrazio and Paolo, two close homeless friends who sadly passed away in 2014 and 2015, respectively. To Antonio (not his real name), of whom I lost traces. To Amos, with whom we still share a lot and we still learn a lot from each other. And also to the city of Turin, which made all of this possible. Thanks to the people who supported the making of the novel, the Editors from ERIS, Fab-Puccettó and the friends in Turin, Roby for the support in post-fieldwork depression, Charlotte Kuhlbrandt, Eszter Krasznai Kovàcs and Alberto Vanolo for the chats around some of this paper’s concerns, and above all, thanks to Eleonora ‘Leo’ Mignoli. The research beyond the novel and this paper wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the Department of Geography in Durham, the DIST in Turin and the Urban Studies Foundation. Lastly, the paper has befitted from the very insightful comments of Nadia von Benzon and S&CG’s referees and Editor, whom I thank very much.

Notes

1. All the text taken from ‘Il numero 1’ was translated from Italian by Eleonora Mignoli and revised by myself.

2. Eris Edizioni is an independent publishing house committed to support and produce alternative and radical knowledge, also through the adoption of Creative Commons licensing. It defines itself as being ‘against any gender discrimination, anti-fascist, and against any regimes depriving any human kind from their rights’ (http://www.erisedizioni.org).

3. The book has been positively reviewed by ‘L’Indice dei libri del mese’, arguably the most important literary magazine in Italy at the time. It also got a special recognition at the XXIV edition of the ‘Italo Calvino’ prize, a renowned literary competition for emerging authors.

4. From that criticism on, I then encouraged Angelica to write her own experience of homelessness, which eventually ended up published in a book called The Other Face of Life (L’altra faccia della vita).

5. Video of some of these performances can be seen at the following page: http://www.michelelancione.eu/narrativapoesia/video/il-numero-1-performance/