After all, I could finally achieve my target!
Attending the Ethno-practicum was a long journey for me having a lot of ups and downs. I
postponed it three semesters due to Covid-19 measures. At the end, I could not wait longer
and I decided to conduct my fieldwork in spring semester 2021. The airport did not open
until mid-March, and I could only do my visa application afterwards. I was able to join the
enthusiastic PhD workshop group in person in May, with the great help of the faculty
members.
Although I had little time to pursue my field research on democratic schools in Israel, it was
very intense and rich. Establishing contacts was easier than I expected. In the second week
of my stay, I already found myself in Hadera, talking very intimately with Yaakov, the
founder of the first democratic school in Israel, as if we know each other for a long time.
This field visit was very inspiring for me, both for my personal future dreams and my PhD
project.
I could meet with faculty members, professors and students working on similar topics, in a
very relaxing, informal, friendly atmosphere. I even came to know PhD students who are
working on similar topics as I do, and we exchanged a lot with them. I enlarged my
bibliography and my conceptual framework after these meetings.
The faculty members of Anthropology in Haifa University were quite supportive in finding
relevant contacts, placing the research into a context, giving advice for the thesis and
establishing long-term contacts for future collaborations. I had the opportunity to present
my PhD work on several occasions where I could get very constructive feedback. After years-long Covid time, it was very refreshing to be in an atmosphere where people are
enthusiastically engaged in academic discussions. The faculty generously engaged me in the
local and international meetings which I highly benefited from.
Overall, it was a great experience. The practicum provided me to travel around, met with
new people and open new horizons for my personal perceptions and my PhD research.
Hatice Soeylemez, Phd Student | Spring 2021
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Hatice is a PhD student at the University of Zurich, Social Anthropology and Popular Culture Department.
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