What happens when ethnographic research becomes a tool not just for understanding society—but for changing it?
At the Ethnographic Impact Lab, we proudly spotlight the groundbreaking work of Ellen Bal, Hosna Shewly, and Lorraine Nencel, whose research dives deep into the lives of female labour migrants in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Their project, rooted in collaborative ethnography and Participatory Action Research (PAR), explores how women navigating work in garment factories, beauty parlours, and sex work struggle for dignity, safety, and rights in a rapidly urbanising world.
This is not research that sits on a shelf. It has sparked policy change, curriculum reform, grassroots empowerment, and a bold documentary film ("Lukochuri") that is igniting public dialogue on taboo topics like sexuality, labour, and migration. At its core, this work is a living example of how academic inquiry—when embedded in community voices and real-world action—can contribute to lasting social transformation.
As you explore their work, you’ll discover how safe spaces, peer-led learning, and co-created knowledge can shift narratives and systems. This project doesn’t just examine marginalisation—it actively dismantles it.
Dive in to see how ethnography becomes impact.
Read the open Access Publication by Ellen Bal, Hosna J. Shewly, Lorraine Nencel here.
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What does it mean to “be there” for someone during birth? What is the unseen emotional work of supporting new life into the world?
In this powerful ethnographic study, Giulia Sinatti (Assistant Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology at VU Amsterdam) invites us into the intimate world of midwifery in the Netherlands—a space where clinical precision meets emotional intuition, and safety must be balanced with autonomy.
Drawing on in-depth interviews and direct observations during childbirth, this research explores the concept of “watchful attendance”—a delicate practice where midwives act as anchors for birthing women, offering emotional grounding while quietly managing medical risk. At the heart of it all lies emotional labour: the often invisible, deeply felt, and skillfully navigated work of feeling, containing, and guiding emotions—both those of others and their own.
Moving beyond the stale binary of “natural” vs “medical” birth, Sinatti and her team reveal a nuanced spectrum where emotional care and clinical intervention are not at odds, but intricately entwined. Whether holding space during a home birth or making split-second decisions under pressure, midwives practice a complex, embodied form of care that often goes unrecognized.
This research is a call to acknowledge the emotional intelligence and reflexive skill at the core of midwifery—and to integrate it into policy, education, and future care models. It also reflects the Ethnographic Impact Lab’s commitment to illuminating how care work, too often undervalued, is central to a humane and just society.
Step into this research to understand how birth is not only a biological event, but a profoundly emotional and social one—and how midwives are key to making that experience safe, empowering, and unforgettable.
Read the open access publication by Giulia Sinatti, Lotte Kaster, Jip Hoeijmakers, Larissa Zanstra, Corine Verhoeven and Ank de Jonge here.
Emotionele arbeid verloskundigen cruciaal voor kwaliteit van zorg (NL)
https://vu.nl/nl/onderzoek/emotionele-arbeid-verloskundigen-cruciaal-voor-kwaliteit-van-zorg
Emotional labor midwives crucial to quality birth care (EN)
https://vu.nl/en/research/emotional-labor-midwives-crucial-to-quality-birth-care
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