ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I examine my role as an anthropologist in an environmental justice (EJ) community. I consider what it means to engage anthropologically with resident-activists. I begin with an introduction to the community that I worked in, offering a brief overview of environmental conditions while touching on the origins and accomplishments of one EJ organization. I write about my experience with the resident-activists of Chelsea, Massachusetts through the lens of habitus (Bourdieu, 1990) to trace how people’s way of moving about the world is rooted in their surroundings and experiences. Researchers and resident-activists collaborate in participatory research that utilizes Freire’s (1970) emancipatory pedagogy—engaging in a way that elevates the agency of the learner through what Dutta (2008) calls a culture-centered approach. Research that prioritizes community voices reinforces community engagement, supporting resident-activists who are engaged with their surroundings and fostering anthropological study that supports the goals of community activism.
