Interviews with policy and political officials are central in social science research. While these actors are traditionally conceived as elites, holding similar or more power and information compared to the researcher, a growing body of research documents that elite constitutes a variable category. We argue that researchers can glimpse the dynamic nature of power and information elites hold in moments of discomfort that arise throughout interview research. These moments illustrate the shift that takes place when the expectations of the elites regarding the researcher’s perceived resources shape the conditions of the production of knowledge. We call for problematizing professional status as the main marker of elite category in fieldwork preparation and training, as labeling people on a single marker of identity shapes how researchers conceive and approach them. The article presents examples from three moments of discomfort by focusing on recruitment of and social interaction with officials working on diaspora policy in Cameroon.
This article examines the potential contribution of the diaspora to development in Cameroon. It illuminates the role of institutional dynamics within the Multiple Streams Approach (MSA). Drawing on the concept of problem compatibility, this research demonstrates that problem recognition does not occur solely as a result of the work of policy entrepreneurs or problem brokers. It also depends on the institutional context within which the problem arises. Data demonstrate that the shock of the economic crisis and its repercussions in Cameroon required innovative sources of development financing, particularly capitalizing on resources from the diaspora, otherwise known as the diaspora option. This led in part to the modification of the "appreciative system" of its network on diaspora policy. Moreover, the heterogeneity of this network has reframed the view of the diaspora, long considered a threat to the stability and security of the country. This analysis, based on interviews with fifteen government officials, experts, and professionals, highlights the institutional processes that drive the problem stream.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.