The name is absent

Appendix 1

with his or her consultant is often determined by, and based on, the relationship the
researcher has established with the larger social network of which the consultant is part
and the particular individual social aspirations which may be serviced by participating in
the research (through the potential gain of cultural capital). Eventually, these contacts
may develop into friendships, but this must be cultivated carefully within the context of
complex Greek interpersonal politics.

In terms of the latter, corporate relationships often follow the same overarching
social rules of referral, reciprocal obligation, and personal gain, albeit in a formal
environment requiring particular “ceremonial” practices (such as respecting office
etiquette, or preserving a particular power dynamic). Corporate contacts are harder to
gain, however, due to the strict divide between formal and informal relationships
maintained by most Greeks⁷ and due to the lack of benefit, in terms of cultural capital or
otherwise, the researcher can offer to this set. In the situation where the ethnographer is
unlikely to gain an informal meeting with an individual through one of his or her own
social networks, the researcher must find another approach.

The methodology I developed for this project is both sensitive to the dynamics of
formal and informal fieldwork relationships: it allowed for the performance of standard
research practice among the informal, social contacts while providing access to the latter
corporate group through the formalization of the individualistic ethic of gain that
underlies many Greek field relationships. This methodology has also helped resolve the
three difficulties in working with Roma I mentioned above, while eventually allowing
access to intimate aspects of social experience among all three groups: Athenian social

⁷ One's manager or coworker is hardly ever invited for a meal, rarely referred to members of the social
network for any reason such as financial advice or car repair, unless a previous friendship existed or one is
developed over time.

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