Trajectory Between the “Initial Field” and Anthropological Training: from where and how do I do science?

Abstract

This article seeks to demonstrate, from my experience as a resident of the coast of the North coast of
Brazil, region of the salt marapaniense, how the encounter with the anthropological discipline and the
changes in ethnographic making from the post-graduation period were unveiled. Thus, I highlight the
importance of the traditional knowledge of the social agents of the region through their narratives and
perspectives of life. In the same way, I reflect on the socio-cultural dynamics and practices of environmental
conservation, highlighting what I call the “initial field” and “lived field”, after the encounter with
anthropological theories. In addition, this article seeks to reflect on how the ethnographer can be affected
by the various aspects of proximity to his “field” and his community.