What does it mean to conduct research when the researcher is also part of the community being studied? Is it possible to separate scholarship from engagement? These questions were at the heart of the Symposium of the Social Anthropology Section of the Polish Anthropological Society, “Where Do We Sit, Where Do We Speak From? Positionality in Anthropological Research and Writing”, held in Kraków on 24–26 June 2026.
Two members of the ROCIT team took an active part in the symposium. Monika Szewczyk presented the paper “Being In-Between. Relationality as an Epistemic Condition: Romani Researchers Between Community Ethos and the Academic Field,” co-authored with Sonia Styrkacz. The presentation explored the experiences of Romani scholars who navigate both academia and their own communities, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of this dual position.
Elżbieta Mirga-Wójtowicz participated in the roundtable “Engagement as Choice and Necessity,” organised to mark the jubilee of Professor Grażyna Kubica-Heller. In her contribution, “On Positionality and the Unavoidable Roles in Researching Transnational Romani Solidarity,” she reflected on the role of the engaged researcher and the challenges of conducting research within one’s own community.
The participation of the ROCIT team members provided an opportunity to share insights emerging from the project and to bring Romani perspectives into broader discussions on ethics, engagement, positionality, and responsibility in contemporary anthropology.