Stainova - Enchanment as Method

Enchantment as Method

• Author: Yana Stainova, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University

• Summary: This article introduces enchantment as an ethnographic method emphasizing the importance of dreams and imagination alongside the structural forces influencing human lives.

  • The concept of enchantment promotes experiencing wonder and being moved by narratives.

  • Based on fieldwork with young Venezuelan musicians from urban barrios facing social and political challenges, the study investigates how they create alternate realities through music and storytelling.

  • By fostering imagination, these young individuals resist being solely defined by socio-political crises.

  • The method celebrates creative aspects of life often neglected by critical theories, allowing insights into the social and political potential of lived experiences.

  • A quote by Audre Lorde highlights the significance of sharing joy as a bridge between individuals.

Fieldwork Context

• Setting: Fieldwork conducted in Venezuela, focusing on musicians from El Sistema, a renowned classical music education program.

• El Sistema: Founded in 1975, it aims to combat social exclusion and poverty through free music education, affecting roughly a million children nation-wide.

• Young Musicians' Challenges: The musicians come from lower-income neighborhoods (barrios), where over half of the population lives without essential services and is exposed to gang violence.

  • While the program is publicly seen as beneficial, residents' realities are still harsh and survival often falls on personal resilience.

  • The researcher originally intended to adhere to systematic methodologies focusing on social implications through interviews and quantitative measures.

Encounter and Methodology

• The author reflects on a casual yet profound backyard conversation with Demian, a young oboist, highlighting the blend of personal experience and research inquiry.

• Steps Taken: The author initially found herself following structured research questions but allowed spontaneous interactions to flourish.

• This moment of sharing doubt and envisioning dreams led to an understanding of "mutual enchantment"—experiencing a transformed state through collective imagination.

Exploring the Nature of Enchantment

• The notion encourages anthropologists to explore both critique and enchantment as central to understanding social realities.

  • Critical thinking often focuses on structural domination, potentially leading to a loss of wonder in anthropology.

• Co-experience of Enchantment: The article suggests this as a method to engage deeply with one’s subjects, revealing experiences beyond the constraints of analytical reasoning.

  • Enchantment highlights wonder, beauty, and creativity, fostering a deeper understanding of the subjects' ties to their environments.

Critique of Critical Theory

• Historical Context: Critical theory, emerging from the Frankfurt School, aimed to unveil the power structures underlying social reality but risked overshadowing the potential of imaginative escapes.

  • Critics, including David Graeber, argue that an intense focus on power dynamics hinders the capacity to conceive of alternative realities.

• Value of Enchantment: The author posits that enchantment should complement critical analysis, enabling a more rounded view of social experiences and desires.

Dynamics of Dreaming and Structuring Life

• Enchantment is portrayed as an essential power in facilitating the ability to dream about alternate futures, essential for individuals entrenched in socio-economic constraints.

• Examples from Encounters: Demian’s complex relationship with dreaming reveals discontent amidst a backdrop of reality and societal limitations.

  • Participants often see dreaming as playful acts that can disrupt the weight of different social expectations and limitations.

• Social and Emotional Geography: The gap between economic privilege and disadvantage in urban spaces illustrates the polarized nature of Venezuelan society.

Conclusion on Enchantment Methodology

• The author concludes with a reflection on how enchantment offers a political choice, aligning scholars with creative and destructive forces shaping their subjects’ experiences.

  • Enchantment is not a dismissal of critique but adds a dimension recognizing the significance of dreams as political acts.

  • Future Implications: Schmitt reflects on how the perceptions formed through engagement influence both academic writing and social outcomes.

  • In the end, Demian's progress towards self-empowerment and aspirations reflects the broader implications of engaging imaginatively with one’s reality.