Surprise! Discoveries with a Field Methods Class

Our field methods class led to the realization that the things you discover may not be what you set out to do. A series of surprising encounters and revelations demanded reorientation and a radically transformed focus, as participants followed unexpected avenues of enquiry. New insights produced a much richer class experience. Recognition of the benefits gained from that more open-ended process prompted our subsequent further consideration of the role of surprise in fieldwork.