Thinking through payment in fieldwork: Changing the narrative about money and reciprocity

Salverda T, Eyre B, Nencel L, Grassiani E, de Regt M, Woensdregt L, Shan H (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

American Ethnologist American Anthropological Association

DOI: 10.1111/amet.70102

Abstract

Ethnographic research has long illuminated diverse economic relations. Yet ethnographers have said little about an economic relation that they themselves often rely on: payment in fieldwork. Indeed, the particularities of monetary exchange between ethnographers and their interlocutors often remain hidden—or taboo. This is so even though thinking through reciprocity is increasingly important in discussions of anthropological research ethics and the discipline's colonial legacies. Traditionally, fieldwork relies on long-term, intimate relationships that are often idealized, suggesting that money might taint ethnographic interactions. Yet, for anthropologists, it is our job to pay attention to taboos and unpack them. Here, we aim to advance critical discussion on payment in fieldwork and its implications. Given that ethnographic knowledge is always contextual, such discussion should be integral to equitable ethnographic research practices, creating theoretical space to engage with research participants’ expectations of payment.

Authors with CRIS profile

Tijo Salverda Standards of Decision-Making Across Cultures (SDAC) - Knowledge, Authenticity, Time

Involved external institutions

University of East Anglia GB United Kingdom (GB) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam NL Netherlands (NL) University of Amsterdam NL Netherlands (NL) Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC) / Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra NL Netherlands (NL)

How to cite

APA:

Salverda, T., Eyre, B., Nencel, L., Grassiani, E., de Regt, M., Woensdregt, L., & Shan, H. (2026). Thinking through payment in fieldwork: Changing the narrative about money and reciprocity. American Ethnologist. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.70102

MLA:

Salverda, Tijo, et al. "Thinking through payment in fieldwork: Changing the narrative about money and reciprocity." American Ethnologist (2026).

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