Hamline anthropology professor David Davies doesn’t especially like bugs or rodents. But, they’re an active part of the human world and vital to understanding a key aspect of his research.
Davies is nearing the end of a year-long sabbatical which has given him time to do field research exploring the relationship between people and, as he likes to describe pests: “the creatures that really want to be around us.”
“For years I’ve been thinking about the relationships between people and the built environment and climate. As an anthropologist, I was on the lookout for a field site that would give me a chance to learn about this ‘on the ground,’” Davies said. “Two years ago, I had a mouse in my office, and that was my ‘a-ha’ moment.”
Two years ago, I had a mouse in my office, and that was my ‘a-ha’ moment.
—David Davies
Now in his 23rd year at Hamline, Davies describes himself as being at the beginning of his late career—a perfect time to launch this long-considered project.
Davies specializes in participant observation—a hallmark of ethnographic research—and during his sabbatical, he took that literally by becoming a licensed pest control technician.
“After a great conversation with the pest control operator who responded to my call about the mouse in my office, I cold-called the company she works for—Plunkett’s Pest Control, which has been a family-owned business in our community for over 100 years,” Davies said. “I met with the company leadership and immediately got a very positive response. They welcomed me to go through their training program and learn the work they do.”
Davies’ research is split into three sections: the built environment, buildings and structures, and the creatures themselves. Of course, Davies can’t talk to a termite, but he can talk with the people who call for service to remove them. “I’m an ethnographer,” he said. “Archaeologists might research by doing a dig, but I do my work by learning alongside people and until this sabbatical, I didn’t have a lot of time to do that.”
Archaeologists might research by doing a dig, but I do my work by learning alongside people. And until this sabbatical, I didn’t have a lot of time to do that.
—David Davies
Along the way, Davies also got to address some of his own fears. “We think of pests as discrete things, but they live in places humans make,” he said. “After only a few weeks, I learned more than I ever imagined about bedbugs and cockroaches and mice. For me, the discomfort with these creatures is an important part of the work. After my first bedbug job, it took me a couple of days to recover from the creepy-crawlies. The skilled work of pest control technicians is really amazing to watch and learn.”
The fieldwork didn’t just change how Davies thinks about pests—it also informed his teaching. It will certainly make its way into classes he teaches on research methods and climate. Every spring semester he teaches a class on digital anthropology. As an experiment he even created an AI cockroach to see how students might interact with non-human entities. What began as an inquiry into people and pests has grown into an exploration of how we define cleanliness and comfort, fear and boundaries.
The fieldwork didn’t just change how Davies thinks about pests—it also informed his teaching.
But in the meantime, a Minnesota summer awaits Davies and the pest control technicians with whom he is working. That will lead to new challenges. “I have a great fear of stinging insects, so wasp season will not be fun,” he said, “but along the way, I’m also learning about concepts of disgust and fear, and watching horror movies in a new way.”
“Summer is here, and everything is waking up now,” he said. “It will be busy.”
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