Basque cultural identities: A preliminary fieldwork research

STSM title: Basque cultural identities: A preliminary fieldwork research
STSM start and end date: 06/07/2021 to 24/07/2021
Grantee name: Nastja Slavec (Institute of Anthropological and Spatial Studies, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Slovenia)
Host institution: Department of Philosophy of Values and Social Anthropology, University of the Basque Country, Spain

Nastja Slavec: “The STSM was a very intense, productive and motivating experience. It was my first visit to the Basque Country, where I will be conducting long-term ethnographic fieldwork research for my PhD next year, and thus served as preparation for that. The aim was to establish contacts with Basque anthropologists and to find a suitable fieldwork site, as well as to get some first-hand knowledge about the Basque situation.
After spending the first part of the STSM in the city of San Sebastián/Donostia, the location of my host institution, I visited several towns and villages in the Spanish autonomous regions of País Vasco/Euskadi and Navarra/Nafarroa. Besides consulting with my host supervisor, I spoke with local representatives, cultural activists and others, and learned about the different sociolinguistic situations regarding Basque language and identity in these two regions. Both the researchers and informants I met were very helpful and encouraging, and I look forward to working with them in the future. Although this was only a short research visit, my fieldwork notes are now filled with new insights, information and ideas that I will use to better shape my PhD project and plan my ethnographic fieldwork.
I would like to thank ENTAN and the Department of Philosophy of Values and Social Anthropology at the University of the Basque Country for supporting my project.”