Urban Youth Culture in Sisimiut, Greenland
– inquiries into fieldwork methodology
PhD fellow Jakub Christensen Medonos
Abstract
This presentation aims its focus on methodological approaches to the study of urban youth
culture in Sisimiut, Greenland. Operational research, participant observations, group &
individual interviews, mapping down youth geographies, involving participating informants
and digital storytelling form the fieldwork concept. The study approach is partially opposed to
the ideal of traditional anthropological fieldwork, usually based on one long stay and onesited focus in the studied environment. "Youth and the City – Urban Youth Culture in
Sisimiut, Greenland: Visions, Skills and Creativity" – a study of youth and their use and
understanding of urban settings, presents a multi-sited approach through research within a
repertoire of youth arenas and close involvement of youth in producing data on urban youth
culture.
Besides an overall presentation of the above mentioned study the presentation
addresses following issues relevant to methodological considerations of the project. Youth,
family and kinship, researcher >< informant relationship and the implementation of results
from youth studies in e.g. a school statutory.
Few scholars have until now conducted research on youth perceptions of everyday
life in modern Greenland. Only small amount of information is available about youth and
their participation in the self-governance debate. It is obvious that information on youth
culture, their visions about the future of their nation, skills acquired and needed during rapid
changes in Greenlandic society and youth creativity in coping with present and future
challenges, is relevant to both the government and the public opinion. But how do we,
exactly, approach youth in e.g. Sisimiut where everyday life of young people unfolds in
schools, youth clubs, gymnasiums, scouts- and other associations such as hip hop,
skateboarding and graffiti (only to mention few). More specifically this presentation asks:
should youth studies not consider the impact of family and kinship?
Another issue will relate to the projects involvement of informants in producing and
presenting data. Here the question aims on the relationship between the researcher and the
informant. How do we manage our different roles in our conduct with informants? What is
needed to face the fact that every relation obtained within a research project reaches a level of
uncertainty in regards of the projects ending?
Finally, the presentation will discuss how knowledge and skills, embedded in the local
youth culture, may be connected with ideas implemented in the newest school statutory
instrument Atuarfitsialak (The Good School; playing an important role in the Greenlandic
debate on self-government.)
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Youth and the City – Urban Youth Culture in Sisimiut,
Greenland: Visions, Skills and Creativity
This PhD project investigates how youth in Greenland use and understand urban settings. The
overall objective is to describe and analyse movements and creativity in the second largest
city of Greenland, Sisimiut. Additionally, this project discusses how knowledge and skills
embedded in the local youth culture may be connected with ideas implemented in the newest
school statutory instrument Atuarfitsialak (The Good School).
Primary research will be conducted both during the school year and school
holidays; it will consist of fieldwork undertaken over a period of six months and will be
divided into four parts. Each part will take place during each of the four seasons of the year.
The focus of the research will be on youth between the ages of 15 and 24. Additionally, a
number of individual informants will be followed continuously. Apart from fieldwork in
schools, the assembly hall, youth clubs and sport associations, the project will organise a
creative workshop with young people to discuss their works on their urban lifestyle. The
works produced within the framework of the project are to be presented at an exhibition at
Sisimiut Museum and a project website, both in co-operation with the projects informants.
This project is part of the research project “Urban Greenland – movements, narratives and
creativity” financially supported by The Danish Research Council for the Humanities. The
project duration is 3 years, beginning in February 2006, with an estimated completion date of
ultimo January 2009.