Fortress Europe in the field: academics, immigrants, and methodological considerations for educational studies

Abstract

This article addresses the difficulty of local-level qualitative educational research in Amsterdam in light of changes related to contemporary political discourse on decades of immigration, especially from the 1970s onward, and increasingly critical assessments of Dutch education in the literature. It considers recent developments in the Netherlands while taking into account similar processes elsewhere in the European Union, with the aim of understanding taboos and problems associated with research on immigration, racism, and discrimination. Specifically, we utilize one researcher's efforts to gain access to educationally based field sites to focus attention on the links between contextual political discourses and policies excluding immigrants with efforts to sociologically examine the experiences of immigrants. We conclude with a discussion of broader challenges faced by social scientists, including the benefits and disadvantages of having outsider status, attempting to utilize ethnographic methodology abroad when scrutinizing politically sensitive topics.

Feeling Half-Half? Exploring Relational Variation of Turkish-Heritage Young Adults’ Cultural Identity Compatibility and Conflict in Austria

“…Despite her proximity to and familiarity with the community, the interviewer had an outsider position as a German without Turkish heritage. As shown in previous studies, this outsider position may have encouraged participants to extend their explanation about their heritage culture (Mielants & Weiner, 2015).…”

“We don’t do that in Germany!” A critical race theory examination of Turkish heritage young adults’ school experiences

“…The interviewer was open about not being a native German speaker, which allowed for greater equality in terms of the typical interviewer/interviewee power imbalance (Banister et al., 1994). Furthermore, her outsider status arguably played a positive role, as she could encourage participants to expand on explanations that would potentially have been cut short had there been an assumption of shared knowledge or experience (Mielants and Weiner, 2015). Following a constructivist approach, the interviewer did not attempt objectivity, instead recognizing the co-creative nature of the interview process, building on what both she and each participant brought to the interview (Frankenberg, 1988).…”

Being both German and Other: Narratives of contested national identity among white and Turkish German young adults

“…The interviewer was clear about being a non‐native German speaker, helping to equalize the power imbalance within the interview structure (Banister, Burman, Parker, Taylor, & Tindall, ). Additionally, as she had only resided in Germany for a few years at the time of the interviews, she encouraged participants to offer thorough information, which may not have occurred had there been an assumption of shared knowledge (Mielants & Weiner, ). At the end of each interview, participants were encouraged to ask questions and add anything they felt relevant.…”