PSL voices | My research internship in anthropology in the United States

What’s up? I'm writing this article now that I've just finished a three-month research internship in Tucson, Arizona. How did I end up there? It's a long story.

An internship to learn about the United States research scene

In the second semester of the third year of the Sustainability Sciences Bachelor's degree, each student must complete a research placement. This placement is an integral part of the training through research that is a strength of our degree, and we are strongly encouraged to do it abroad. I was lucky enough to be awarded the *, which allowed me to go to the in the US with two fellow students.

I was hosted in an anthropology laboratory** called ‘’ (Collaborative Anthropology of Reproduction and Environment) which looks at the links between the climate crisis and reproductive decisions among young people in Arizona, USA.

I learned about qualitative research by analysing conversations on social networks, conducting focus groups and interviews and analyzing the data collected by the whole laboratory team. I was supervised by a researcher who guided me throughout the course and gave me a lot of freedom in my research. I learned a lot about the subject and about the way research is done in the United States. The laboratory I worked in was keen to present its work at conferences and to collaborate with anthropologists and researchers from other disciplines. I really enjoyed this interdisciplinary approach: I could discuss my work with a number of researchers, all of whom gave me some interesting ideas for the future.

At the same time as my placement, I took a course in environmental anthropology, taught by my placement tutor. It was quite different from a ‘traditional’ lesson: it wasn't a lecture where the professor presented a slide show to the students, but more of a discussion between professors and students. An amusing (but not very eco-friendly) detail is that there is an overhead projector on each wall so that students can sit in islands and watch the slides without craning their necks.

A work – and travel – placement

OK, so I went to the US for an internship, but I did manage to travel a bit! I went on some amazing hikes in the Arizona canyons that the locals recommended to me and, just before coming home, I went and visited the national parks of the American West. I especially loved Death Valley!

My internship experience in a nutshell

My stay was amazing from all points of view: it was my first research experience in the United States, I learned about qualitative research methods, my English has seen great improvements (although I still need to work on my accent), I made exciting discoveries in the link between climate change and reproductive decisions, I made new friends and I saw some amazing views.

I can easily say, 'I WANT TO GO BACK!'

PS: If you want to learn more about the Iglobes laboratory or about the CARE laboratory where I did my internship, !

*Iglobes Prize: Each year, PSL funds three mobility scholarships for three students from the Sustainability Sciences Bachelor's degree, selected on merit. The students carry out an internship at the University of Arizona in a laboratory that matches their interests.

**Anthropology: The study of people and groups of people. This science investigates their cultures, their behaviors and how they have changed throughout time and space.