Mother and son in the field: weaving an ethnographic experience

Abstract

This text is a summary of a conversation between the author and co-author about their joint production of field activities during the preparation of Rolfran de Souza Tavares's dissertation, as the author invited his mother (the co-author, Francisca de Souza Tavares) to assist him. This happened because he wanted to create a pleasant and committed approach with the research collaborators, women who mothered young black individuals and had one of their charges murdered. In that study, the goal was to understand their notions of public safety and their strategies to safeguard their children. Considering that this topic could cause significant emotional discomfort, the researcher included someone who these women deemed legitimate to facilitate such contacts - his mother. The women they worked with inhabited the same territory where the author and co-author reside, and Francisca had daily interactions regarding mothering practices with them.