Czech Biologist or Ethnographer?

notebookHe’s a biologist, but from the posts I linked to below, Vojtech Novotny reads like an ethnographer. It just goes to show you, when it comes to doing science in the world -out of the laboratory, you’re going to have to deal with culture and people.
Biologist Vojtech Novotny describes his experiences as a bystander in the jungle of New Guinea during a medical emergency, specifically, the difficulties encountered when trying to get someone to an adequate medical facility.

Read about the taboos and customs he encountered in the village where his research takes place and get a sense of the content of his book, Notebooks from New Guinea. In this post, Novotny participated in a Q&A about what it was like to be a Czech scientist living in New Guinea and interacting with the indigenous people there, as well as his writing process. Novotny also describes his research a bit and his inclusion of indigenous research technicians. Novotny may be a biologist, but his posts read like ethnography. I’m betting you’ll enjoy them.

Why You Won’t Find an Ambulance in the Jungle
A Few Questions for Vojtech Novotny

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About Carl Feagans 396 Articles
Professional archaeologist that currently works for the United States Forest Service at the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area in Kentucky and Tennessee. I'm also a 12-year veteran of the U.S. Army and spent another 10 years doing adventure programming with at-risk teens before earning my master's degree at the University of Texas at Arlington.

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