QUALITATIVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
I was trained as an ethnographer and have conducted fieldwork in Cuba since 2004 in the cities of Havana, Matanzas, and Santiago. My academic research focused on a range of Afro-Cuban folkloric and popular musical practices, including rumba, timba, son, and folklore oriental (eastern Cuban folklore), and the ways they are impacted by notions of race and place in contemporary Cuba. I spent 10 months on the island in 2006 and 2007, during which time I established relationships with dozens of musicians and groups, networked with local scholars and state cultural officials, and conducted archival research at various Cuban institutions. Since then, I have returned for several shorter research trips.
As a freelance qualitative researcher, I have consulted on several projects—including one for the Institute for Scientific Analysis in Alameda, CA—and offer a range of services, including design and implementation of online surveys and qualitative analysis.
RELEVANT SKILLS
- Experience with a variety of qualitative research methods, including participant-observation, interviewing, documentation through field notes
- Research design and implementation
- Design and implementation of online surveys
- Strong interpersonal skills within a cross-cultural context
- Qualitative analysis of societal and cultural phenomena
- Fluent in Spanish with ability to transcribe interviews from Spanish to English
- Expertise operating a range of fieldwork technology, such as digital music recorder, video camera, digital camera
- Extensive experience communicating research outcomes to diverse audiences
If you have a need for a qualitative researcher/ethnographer for a specific project, please contact me to learn more about my rates and availability.