I'm getting a PhD in Anthropology, which means that I am required to do fieldwork. I did some preliminary fieldwork in an "exotic" locale for three months last year, and decided that I just couldn't go back to do the rest of the physically challenging (and potentially life-threatening) fieldwork necessary to complete my proposed project. So I took a few months to think about it, and switched to a project that I found equally engaging, but that could be done in a place that I am more comfortable with and where I have some theoretical background: the United States. I was born in the United States, which means I would be "studying myown" (also a problem sometimes in Anthropology), but I have a degree inAmerican political theory and have studied persuasion, speech-making,and American political advertising as well.

Although providing a more physically and financially comfortable research site, switching to the US wasn't an easy choice. I would have to shuffle my committee (who I loved) and give up a project I had been invested in. I also knew that shifting my subject area just before dissertation proposal would set me back 6mths-1yr (at least) in research time. My decision to shift was begrudgingly supported by some in my department, and vehemently opposed by others.

The other day I had a meeting with a senior faculty member who noted this shift in my research and then proceeded to tell me that, with my shift in research area, I may want to "look for the Universities that are better equipped to support my proposed research" as well as my "career goals." We're talking Anthropology--so in essence all I need to do work are books and people. Yet, during the course of our conversation, some manifestation of this suggestion to "check out other Universities" was mentioned several times. I may be paranoid, but I feel as if the overuse of this "suggestion" could be translated as "...we are giving you an out to leave without us actively kicking you out..."

I am an excellent student who is in dissertation proposal phase. I have been very active as a T.A., instructor, department workshop participant, and organizer. Up to the point where I shifted my research, I had completed all major qualifying benchmarks at the top of my class. This shift has really made some people angry, but is it honestly possible that they are so miffed about my change in research topic that they would ask me to go? I really don't know how to read this. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Hmm, it certainly sounds as if a few of them are taking it rather personally. If your department have allowed the change then they should support you, how important/relevant are the people making these remarks?
Is there someone senior on your team who you feel you could go to for an honest discussion about this? I think you need to talk it over quite bluntly with someone who has the facts and can put them in context. While we could speculate on here, it would be no help at all if we got it wrong!

You are very right--just hard to know exactly who I can trust at this point, so was looking for some feedback from others. Some of the people making these remarks are, indeed, senior faculty members--but I have a few other faculty members who I might have a more blunt conversation with. I feel like I'm being paranoid, but I don't want to be blindsided if there is some type of coup brewing to extricate me from the dept... This whole thing is so silly. Seems like there are many other wonderful things we could be wasting our energies on. Anyway, thanks for your response!

It sounds utterly sh*tty and I hope it doesn't come to anything. If there is some kind of coup planned though, far better for you to be aware of it and able to make plans. If you can bear to, it might be worth taking the better of these senior academics aside and having a direct talk, if they've any decency they'll respect you for it and maybe even suggest some way of resolving the situation. Sorry I can't be more help, hope it all works out ok.