Anthropology students explore how buildings shape student life at MBORijnland
In the second-year course Fieldwork NL, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology students conduct their own full-scale anthropological research project. This year, students Marie Nafe, Maks Graczyk, Dea Zukanovic and Lauren Alvarado Diez conducted their research at MBORijnland, where they explored how architecture influences students’ mobility and their social relationships.
The project in a nutshell
The project studies how the MBORijnland’s buildings and spaces influences students in multiple ways. For example, how students move around campus, whether students feel like they belong there, and how students interact with each other. ‘We focus on both the architectural and social dimensions of the school environment to understand their impact on students’ identity, safety, and community dynamics.’
Creating an inclusive educational space
When looking for a suitable research topic, the four anthropology students were drawn to issues around safety. ‘We learned about complaints from residents in the Lammenschans area regarding disturbances linked to two schools. This led us to investigate the area, where we noticed that MBORijnland’s design posed challenges like the lack of outdoor spaces and a confusing layout. These issues hinder students' ability to move freely, feel safe, and build social connections.’
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Interior and exterior of MBORijnland building -
Social guidelines MBORijnland
A unique anthropological skillset
What makes anthropology uniquely suited for this kind of research? The students emphasized their discipline's focus on lived experiences of individuals by combining qualitative methods, such as interviews and participatory methods, and quantitative methods, like surveys.
‘Also, anthropology values the meanings people attribute to spaces, which enables us to understand how students shape and "make" these spaces their own. Our anthropological insights ensure the research captures not just the physical environment but also how it is experienced, negotiated, and shaped by its users.’
Prioritizing social relations or being on time for class?
The fieldwork yielded fascinating glimpses into student behavior. One of the team's most interesting discoveries came from simply watching how students moved through their school. 'One of the most insightful moments was observing how a student navigated the school with their friends. It was fascinating to see how social priorities shaped their choices, such as deliberately arriving late to prioritize social interactions. This highlighted the strong influence of peer relationships on students’ mobility within the school.'
Implications of an uninviting building
So, what can we take from this research? The team found that many students view the school’s design as ‘’uninviting’’, mostly because of it’s lack of colour and confusing layout. This uninviting layout reinforeces the social fragmentation between students, as mobility patterns effect emotional and social exclusion.
Furthermore, the students discovered a potential shortfall in indoor social spaces, as most students frequently used outdoor spaces, even in bad weather.
Concerning the topic of safety, the group discovered how safety is gendered and unevenly distributed.
Some advice for future anthropology students
For those considering anthropology as a field of study, the team offers practical advice gained from their experience. 'Prepare backup questions and stay adaptable, as interviews and observations rarely go as planned,' they suggest. Perhaps most importantly, they learned that fieldwork requires constant adaptation: 'Fieldwork is unpredictable, so be ready to adjust your methods and expectations as you go.' These insights offer a window into the practical skills anthropology students develop—skills that extend far beyond the classroom into real-world problem-solving.
The aftermath
The team has wrapped up their research and already presented their results to their peers, teachers and various societal partners during the Fieldwork NL conference in April and during the Opening of Presenting with the City on Tour this month. They will present their findings again in June during Presenting with the City. Interested? You are welcome to join!
Fieldwork NL
In the second-year course Fieldwork NL, students have the opportunity to design and conduct a full-scale anthropological research project themselves. They choose their own topic and research location in the Netherlands, matching an overarching theme.
Under the guidance of a supervisor, they go through the entire research process: from writing a research proposal to three weeks of fieldwork, followed by data analysis and a research report. In the end, they present their findings during the Fieldwork NL conference.