The social anthropologist and the studied society. Exploring the dynamics of interaction relationships

This  article,  based  on  empirical  research  material  collected  from  long-term  on-site research of a rural community, focuses on some of the key aspects of the relationship-in all phases of the field research-between the social anthropologist and the society under observation, between  the  «observer» and  the “observed», the «familiar» and  the «unfamiliar». By investigating  the  dynamics  of  interpersonal  contacts between  the  main  actors of  ethnographic  research, the  paper, attempts  to  highlight the  value  and  uniqueness  of  participating ‘from  within’ in  the  collective life  of  the studied society in order to understand different ways of living.