Research in the Religious Realm: Intersectional Diversification and Dynamic Variances of Insider/Outsider Perspectives

Abstract

This article discusses insider/outsider perspectives in qualitative research among religious people. Focus is on the insider researcher. Even if researcher and participants share the same overall religious adherence or are members of the same denomination, various factors can differentiate them substantially, affecting insider/outsider perspectives. The methodological implications of this phenomenon are drawn from research on the perception of gender roles among Mormon women in Belgium. The mutual perception of researcher and participant can influence the data collection phase as value-laden issues are being discussed. To ensure the validity and objectivity of research in this context, positionalities of researcher and participants need to be clearly defined and methodological safeguards put into place. The analysis of the interactions between researcher and participants led to the identification of seven intersecting insider/outsider perspectives: denominational, congregational, social, religious, topical, lingual, and academic. Moreover, as compound insider/outsider positions move on several continua, various factors can change the perspectives during interviews. This article adds to the methodology of qualitative research by uncovering perspectives which researchers can consider or adapt when interviewing religious participants.

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“…Qualitative research requires us to note that the contexts and lived experiences of researchers intersect in ways that may influence research interpretations (St. Louis and Barton 2002). In particular, Decoo (2022) describes the way in which insider and outsider perspectives may influence qualitative research related to Mormonism. We therefore include here a description of each author and their positionalities in engaging in this research.…”

You In or Out?: Reflecting on Positionality in Gang Research

“…Given their shared social history, insiders occupy a unique position with several methodological advantages, including more authentic data and precise analysis. First, they often have easier and more intimate access to participants and critical information and are afforded a greater sense of legitimacy, at least initially (Chavez, 2008;Decoo, 2022;Labaree, 2002;Sherif, 2001;Zinn, 1979). Second, insiders possess the contextual awareness or "lenses" to collect data in a localized way.…”

“…Importantly, the space between reveals an agentic quality because researchers can "do" insider and outsider statuses depending on a variety of factors, including social interactions and context, appearance, and topics of inquiry (Adu-Ampong & Adams, 2020;Carlin, 2014;Cui, 2015;Decoo, 2022;Ergun & Erdemire, 2010;Kerstetter, 2012;Mercer, 2007;Merton, 1972). Put simply, scholars can actively inch closer to an insider or outsider depending on the situation (Milligan, 2016;Sherif, 2001).…”

Re-Conceptualizing Insider/Outsider Positionalities in Migration Research as ‘Liquid Positionalities’: An Analytical Tool for Migration Scholars

“…In migration research, co-ethnic migrant researchers are perceived, viewed, interpreted and positioned as either trusted insiders or auspicious outsiders by study participants owing to a plethora of factors that manifest during actual research encounters (Crean 2018;Decoo 2022;Keikelame 2018;McNess et al 2015;Mercer 2007;O'Connor 2004;Pechurina 2014;Ryan 2015;Taylor 2011;Witcher 2010). The conceptual frames of insider positionalities 4 or outsider positionalities have been used by many scholars and researchers of migration to make sense of the ways in which 'us' vs. 'them' groupist identificational perspectives or beliefs play out in a research context (e.g., Berger 2015;Bourke 2014;Crean 2018;Clingerman 2007;Dwyer and Buckle 2009;Kusow 2003;Moroşanu 2015;Nowicka and Cieslik 2014;Ryan 2015).…”