Dr. Ma Qiang, Associate Professor in Institute of Russian, Eastern European & Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was invited by the Russian Centre of FSS, with the topic of “Going Deep: A discussion on the experience of field work in Russia”. Using “Going Deeper” as a clue, Dr. Ma reviewed and reflected on his own experience of fieldwork in Russia at three levels: spatial, temporal, and mental, demonstrating the importance of ethnography in contemporary anthropological research.
Dr. Ma’s wonderful speech attracted the interest of teachers and students, and the atmosphere of exchange was active. He emphasized that in order to do a good job of fieldwork, it is not only necessary to go into the depths of the space of the fieldwork site, but also into the depths of time. In addition to paying attention to the local history of the field sites and the life history of the reporters, it is even more rare to go into the depths of the hearts and souls of the local people. Finally, he pointed out that Chinese scholars should be more involved in the study of overseas ethnographies. Through in-depth fieldwork and solid analysis, they can gain a deeper understanding of the world, especially the countries of Europe and Asia.
