This year, the Anthropological Field Practice course, implemented as a part of the Bachelor's program in Liberal Arts and Humanities, took place as usual. For twelve years, the final part, field research, took place in a southern village in Slovakia, and this year was no exception, making it the thirteenth time.

During the summer semester the students were taught the methodology of anthropological research, where the students were presented with theories concerning rural and post-rural space, in addition, students searched for original topics and developed research projects. Three-member research teams focused on space and time rhythms in the village, child mobility, the role of the road, the role of water, the grass in the village's landscape, and the landscape around the village.

The stay in the field took place in the first half of June (7.-16.6. 2024). An 18-member student team set out together with teachers Hedvika Novotná, Martin Heřmanský, and Dana Bittnerová. Their preparation was tested for ten intensive days. Students got hands-on experience with what field research entails, how challenging it is to be open to unknown social realities, how difficult it is to approach a stranger, and how important it is to reflect on one's position in the field. However, the toughest challenge, as always, was time management. What to do first? Research, get to know the topic, create data, and write down field notes or debate with colleagues, share data, and interpret it? Teamwork between the teams proved to be key to connecting all the participants and creating a good atmosphere. The experience was definitely formative. But the stay in the field would not have been possible without the host community, which as always, welcomed us with open arms, created a homelike background, and shared their lives, spaces, and time with us. Thank you! We also thank our faculty for funding the course. The course took place thanks to support from the PPSŘ project.

Dana Bittnerová, translation Melanie S. Terry