Ethnographic Intimacy

In recent decades, anthropologists have increasingly recognised the researcher’s vulnerability as an inherent and indispensable element of ethnographic field research. This article shares my ethnographic fieldwork experiences navigating the intricate relationships of a coliving facility in Ho Chi Minh City. I argue that emotional engagement within fieldwork relationships—embracing the dual role of researcher and friend—can yield unexpected insights. Nevertheless, there are inherent complexities in negotiating a network of relationships that demand a high degree of emotional resilience, especially for anthropologists conducting research “at home”. This article calls on researchers to recognise reciprocal vulnerability not as a weakness, but as an asset for arriving

Ethnography · Negotiation · Reciprocal · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

• The co-constructed ethnographer

  Open Access•Maija-Eliina Sequeira•Ethnography•2026

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