Entering the Global Field: Talk, Travel and Narrative Practice in Ecuadorian Prisons

Prisons in Ecuador represent a globalised field. In this fieldwork confessional I outline my place within this field (characterised by global inequalities), and describe the ways in which I gained entry to the community of foreign nationals. In particular, I focus on the construction of being foreign as a specific membership category, as well as the role of narrative and storytelling in bridging international and social divides, fostering a shared sense of community, and the role of visitors as listeners for inmates' stories. This narrative practice made researching drug trafficking possible, however such stories require careful interpretation to avoid misinterpretation.