The text presents an approach which bases on participant observation, but is significantly more intensive and considerably interferes in peoples’ everyday life. The observer becomes a “shadow” of the observed people and accompanies them in everyday activities. This technique was crucial for the research made by the author and concerning students’ lifestyles, commissioned by Sustainable Lifestyle Research Center, carried out by the group of students from the University of Łódź. The text describes goals and results of the project and aims to show briefly the problems and chances of using shadowing tools in anthropological work.

The text presents an approach which bases on participant observation, but is significantly more intensive and considerably interferes in peoples’ everyday life. The observer becomes a “shadow” of the observed people and accompanies them in everyday activities. This technique was crucial for the research made by the author and concerning students’ lifestyles, commissioned by Sustainable Lifestyle Research Center, carried out by the group of students from the University of Łódź. The text describes goals and results of the project and aims to show briefly the problems and chances of using shadowing tools in anthropological work.