International workshop: “Doing fieldwork in rural and urban spaces: practical and ethical aspects of engaging with local communities in Japan, Germany and Austria”

This workshop focused on reflections of fieldwork experiences in Japan, Austria and Germany. The aim of its organisers, DIJ’s Sebastian Polak-Rottmann and Wolfram Manzenreiter (University of Vienna) was to share different approaches to how researchers play an active role in the revitalisation of local communities in urban as well as rural areas. The event took place at the University of Vienna and consisted of two thematic sessions.

The first part collected insights of projects involving participatory community-building aspects. Philip Krassnitzer (University of Vienna) shared his experiences in citizen participation in Austrian planning practice, highlighting the challenges and learnings linked to his engagement. Anna-Maria Stabentheiner (University of Vienna) introduced Mukojima, a neighbourhood in Tokyo and the practices of sharing creativity in an urban space. Yoshiyuki Yama(Kwansei Gakuin University) illustrated his approach of a philosophical café as a method for local revitalisation, displaying a short documentary movie. Norio Okada (Kwansei Gakuin University) provided an analytical framework of what he perceives as a question-based approach of fieldwork. Discussant Hanno Jentzsch (University of Vienna) shifted the focus on the role of institutions and its impact on local revitalisation.

The second part contained reflections and experiences with local community projects. Wolfram Manzenreiter (University of Vienna) introduced his long-term fieldwork in the Aso region and posed the question of how to deal with emotionally challenging situations during fieldwork, such as unhappy incidents involving former interview partners. Isabel Stumfol talked about the RURASMUS program that she is a core member of. She shared stories of students that helped revitalising local communities in Austrian villages and how they gradually managed to get their projects realised. Claudia Neu provided insights into narratives of futures in and about rural areas in Germany. She reflected on the role of designers of rural futures that are not necessarily part of existing civic groups on site. Discussant Sebastian Polak-Rottmann focused on the role of emotions during fieldwork or planning projects and invited the participants to reflect on how they deal with anger or frustration during their work.

The international workshop managed to bridge country-specific as well as disciplinary differences and created a platform to openly discuss fieldwork practices and the role of researchers in local communities. The examples from Germany, Austria and Japan demonstrate that as researchers we can establish places for communicative exchange, but have to be prepared to also potentially get emotionally involved in our fields.

Programme

13:00 Introduction by Sebastian POLAK-ROTTMANN (DIJ Tokyo) & Wolfram MANZENREITER (University of Vienna)

Part 1: Participatory community-building

13:15 – 13:35 Phillip KRASSNITZER (University of Vienna): Dialogue is method! Citizen participation in Austrian planning practice

13:35 – 13:55 Anna-Maria STABENTHEINER (University of Vienna): Mukōjima – A creative neighbourhood?

13:55 – 14:15 – Short break –

14:15 – 14:35 Yoshiyuki YAMA (Kwansei Gakuin University): 日本の過疎地域におけるまちづくりの取り組み ―「哲学カフェ」を活用した「語り合う場づくり」と協働のエスノグラフィーの試み― (japanisch mit deutscher Erläuterung)

14:35 – 14:55 Norio OKADA (Kwansei Gakuin University): Problem-oriented and question-based approaches need to meet each other: Designing communicative spaces for Japan’s Machizukuri fieldworks

14:55 – 15:30 Joint discussion with Hanno JENTZSCH (University of Vienna)

15:30 – 16:30 – break “Jause” –

Part 2: Reflections and experiences with local community projects

16:30 – 16:50 Wolfram MANZENREITER (University of Vienna): Fieldwork morality lessons: The dark side of happiness research

16:50 – 17:10 Isabel STUMFOL (self-employed spatial planner): Experiences from the RURASMUS program

17:10 – 17:30 – Short break –

17:30 – 17:50 Claudia NEU (University of Göttingen/Kassel): Much loss and little future – Findings and experiences from community studies in Germany

17:50 – 18:20 Joint discussion with Sebastian POLAK-ROTTMANN (DIJ Tokyo)

18:20 – 18:30 Closing remarks by Wolfram MANZENREITER (University of Vienna) & Sebastian POLAK-ROTTMANN (DIJ Tokyo)