Where have all the fieldnotes gone? The changing nature and politics of drugs ethnography in The Netherlands

A critical review of Dutch drugs ethnography over the past two decades addr esses the importance of fieldnotes. and the influence of the wider policy c ontext on the research process. Three generations of Dutch drugs ethnograph ers are distinguished. In the work of the first generation, fieldnotes. pla yed a primary role in the research process. This value was tied to the poli cy need to have first-hand knowledge of drug users themselves in order to f ormulate policy. The second generation created an equal partnership between qualitative and quantitative research to serve the needs of the consolidat ion of the national harm reduction policy. The third generation discounted ethnography as the policy shifted away from the needs of the drug users to the nuisance they caused for public security. The review concludes that the future of Dutch drugs ethnograph lies in a revival of the original interes ts fortified by new technologies and methodological insights. A more balanc ed approach between drug users, academics and policy-makers is advocated.