Negotiating gatekeepers and positionality in building trust for accessing the urban poor in the Global South

Lata, Lutfun Nahar

doi:10.1108/qrj-03-2020-0017

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Men were equally cooperative and willing to share their experiences with the first author, which she did not expect. Any social barriers to engaging with a female researcher were overcome by men's curiosity about what she was doing in their locality (Lata, 2020).…”

Section: Research Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

The politics of gendered space: Social norms and purdah affecting female informal work in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Lata

Walters

Roitman

2020

Gender Work & Organization

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Labor markets are still heavily gendered everywhere, even when women's participation in the labor market is greater now than at any other time in history. Existing research shows poor women's participation in the informal economy is higher than men's in many parts of the Global South. However, this is not the case in Bangladesh. Poor Muslim women's participation, particularly where they require access to public space, is lower than men due to persistent patriarchal norms, reflected in social and religious expectations of women. Drawing on interview data with female street vendors from a slum in Dhaka, this article explores the dynamics of social and religious norms that constrain poor Muslim women's access to public space to earn income. This article contributes to the literature on gender, religion, and work by highlighting that the parochial realm offers a safer space for operating businesses without breaking social norms and by arguing that poor Muslim women experience social and religious barriers rather than legal ones. Non‐legal barriers are more amenable to change as a result, which is important for empowering women.

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Section: Research Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

The politics of gendered space: Social norms and purdah affecting female informal work in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Lata

Walters

Roitman

2020

Gender Work & Organization

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“…Given these sites were inaccessible for outsiders, I reached out to local NGOs and other organizations who work in the field. This was not only crucial to get physical access but also to build trust with people in the field (Lata, 2020). Many gang researchers use active or former gang members as their main gatekeepers (Bucerius and Urbanik, 2019; Rodgers, 2007; Van Hellemont, 2015).…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many gang researchers use active or former gang members as their main gatekeepers (Bucerius and Urbanik, 2019; Rodgers, 2007; Van Hellemont, 2015). Moreover, I recognize that “researchers can avoid bias and minimize power relations with participants if they recruit most interviewees by themselves rather than depending on gatekeepers” (Lata, 2020, p. 17). However, this was not possible for me because of security reasons.…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corruption, impunity and mistrust: moving beyond police gatekeepers for researching gangs

Damme

2021

JACPR

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Purpose This paper aims to discuss the importance of having several entry points into the field, via gatekeepers who do not belong to law enforcement agencies, in contexts where the police cannot be defined as trustworthy. Design/methodology/approach The argumentation of this paper is based on qualitative research on women and gangs in Honduras. An ethnographical methodology was implemented, which included over a year of observations, 65 interviews and two focus groups in gang-controlled communities and detention centers in Central America (with a focus on Honduras), between 2017 and 2020. The paper implements a feminist reflexive approach, focusing on patriarchy, positionality and silence. Findings Collaborating with the police as gatekeepers in gang research needs to be reevaluated. In countries such as Honduras, the police are riddled with corruption and impunity, which eventually leads to mistrust among gang members and other citizens. Hence, it is recommended to approach other, non-law enforcement, gatekeepers, who often stand much closer to the gangs and have a less conflicted or biased position toward them and toward other people living in gang areas. Research limitations/implications A feminist reflexive approach is recommended for researching women and gangs, and thus also for choosing the right gatekeepers in the field, taking into account researchers’ and gatekeepers’ positionality. Originality/value Police corruption in relation to gangs and gang-related crimes often goes unreported and silences people living in gang-controlled areas. This paper exposes these conflicted roles, not only regarding police abuse vis-à-vis gangs and people living in gang areas but also in relation to gang researchers in the field.

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“…I collected data between November 2015 and February 2016, using a combination of qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and observation. Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews with 94 informal workers (18 women and 76 men) and 37 key informants (for detailed information on methods and researcher's positionality, see Lata, 2021b). There are still far fewer women than men operating vending businesses using public space, hence the gender imbalance in the sample (for detailed discussion on gendered space, see Lata et al, 2020).…”

Section: The Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, as a female researcher, I enjoyed easy access to women participants, who also shared many private stories that were not part of my research. Men were equally cooperative and enthusiastic to share their experience with me (for further information, see Lata, 2021b).…”

Section: The Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

The production of counter-space: Informal labour, social networks and the production of urban space in Dhaka

Lata

2022

Current Sociology

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Access to public space for earning livelihoods is important for street vendors in global south cities. However, due to continuous population growth and the demand for lands by the real estate development sector, pressure on land is very high in the global south. Consequently, global south cities such as Dhaka provide ‘no place’ for its poor migrant citizens. Yet, the urban poor are able to appropriate public space for livelihoods. Drawing on a case study of Sattola slum in Dhaka, this article investigates how the urban poor access to public space for livelihoods and construct counter-spaces by breaking the planned order of the city. This article argues that the urban poor are able to construct counter-spaces with the tacit support of translocal social networks as well as with the support of a range of state and non-state powerful actors who are compromised by the benefits and profits they extract from vendors. This article draws on qualitative data generated through in-depth interviews with 94 informal workers and 37 key informants. This article contributes to urban sociology literature demonstrating that the urban poor are able to construct counter-spaces drawing on a range of everyday tactics and appropriating public space by quietly breaking the planned order of the city.

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Negotiating gatekeepers and positionality in building trust for accessing the urban poor in the Global South

Cited by 11 publications

References 30 publications

The politics of gendered space: Social norms and purdah affecting female informal work in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The politics of gendered space: Social norms and purdah affecting female informal work in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Corruption, impunity and mistrust: moving beyond police gatekeepers for researching gangs

The production of counter-space: Informal labour, social networks and the production of urban space in Dhaka

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