Fieldwork in anthropology represents one of the most defining features of the discipline, distinguishing it from other social sciences. It is a methodological approach through which anthropologists gather firsthand data about human societies, cultures, and behaviors by immersing themselves directly into the communities they study. The tradition of fieldwork has evolved over more than a century, shaped by both the practical challenges of studying diverse societies and the theoretical debates within anthropology about culture, society, and human behavior. At its core, fieldwork is not merely a method of data collection; it is a mode of experiencing and understanding the lives of people from the perspective of those being studied. The roots of anthropological fieldwork can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when European and American scholars became increasingly interested in documenting societies considered “non-Western” or “primitive.” Early fieldwork was often guided by a colonial gaze, focusing on cataloging customs, rituals, and material culture for the purposes of comparison with Western societies. Pioneering anthropologists such as Bronisław Malinowski, Franz Boas, and Margaret Mead began to shape the field by emphasizing the importance of long-term, immersive research. Malinowski, in particular, is credited with establishing participant observation as a cornerstone of anthropological fieldwork during his studies of the Trobriand Islanders in the early 20th century. He argued that anthropologists must live among the people they study, learning the language, participating in daily life, and observing behaviors in