Sticking Out in the Field: No, Ma’am, I Do Not Work for the Governor

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to further existing research on fieldwork practices and experiences by focusing on issues of reflexivity (Pillow, 2003) and research ethics (Guillemin & Gillam, 2004) within “openly ideological research” (Lather, 1986) that actively renounces the objective observer in favor of the praxis-driven embodied research actor (Giardina & Newman, 2011a). This paper examines incidents from our fieldwork on the Baltimore Grand Prix and the city’s 2011 mayoral election as, at a public forum, we were accused, not only of malicious intent but also of nefarious origin. As a result, this paper focuses upon the many dilemmas—moral, ethical, personal—inherent in ethnographic research (Springwood & King, 2001), with a deliberate focus upon the researcher’s (in)ability to “blend in” to a research setting (Woodward, 2008). More specifically this paper examines research in public spaces conducted with the aim of stimulating potentially divisive discourse. Through our experiences, we attempt to reveal the complex layers of power and space, created by and through our presence as academic researchers.

Negotiating ‘ethically important moments’ in research with young people: reflections of a novice researcher

“…Fernández Balboa and Brubaker (2012) make the point that for novice researchers total presence of mind and holistic awareness may be less attainable due to the absence of a solid experiential base. The examples of ethically important moments experienced by graduate students (Atkinson, 2014;Bernstein & Friedman, 2013. Trussell, 2010Wright & O'Flynn, 2012) serve to further illustrate the steep ethical learning curve of the novice researcher.…”

On the Ethics of Tourism Research

“…Bernstein and Friedman (2013) observed resident attitudes toward sport facilities and events as disguised observers during an election campaign in a US city. In the process, they encountered ethical issues when they were “discovered.” In the same vein, Mura (2015) discussed ethical issues he detected in ethnographic fieldwork, such as harm to the researcher and tensions of being an ethical researcher while studying unethical practices.…”