In socio-cultural risk research, an epistemological tension often follows if real hazards in the ... more In socio-cultural risk research, an epistemological tension often follows if real hazards in the world are juxtaposed against the essentially socially constructed nature of all risk. In this editorial we consider how this paradox is manifest at a practical level in a number of ethical dilemmas for the risk researcher. 1) In terms of strategies for seeking informed consent, and for addressing the power inequalities involved in interpretative and analytical work, researchers can find themselves pushing at the boundaries of standard understandings of ethical practices and ways of engaging informants in their studies. 2) Impact on participants is another key area of concern since the subject matter on which data are collected in risk research may be a source of uncertainty, anxiety or unwanted self knowledge. And 3) risk researchers also face the possibility of institutional repercussions of raising risk issues with people who usually normalise the risks, thereby stimulating distrust in the institutions or organisations with formal responsibilities for risk management. There are no simple formulae to guide the researcher in dealing with such ethical issues and paradoxes. It is important, though, to recognise their specificity in risk studies, including the ambiguous status of questions about vulnerability since judgements about 'who is vulnerable' and 'in what ways' are themselves influenced by the situational framings and understandings of participants and researchers.
In socio-cultural risk research, an epistemological tension often follows if real hazards in the ... more In socio-cultural risk research, an epistemological tension often follows if real hazards in the world are juxtaposed against the essentially socially constructed nature of all risk. In this editorial we consider how this paradox is manifest at a practical level in a number of ethical dilemmas for the risk researcher. 1) In terms of strategies for seeking informed consent, and for addressing the power inequalities involved in interpretative and analytical work, researchers can find themselves pushing at the boundaries of standard understandings of ethical practices and ways of engaging informants in their studies. 2) Impact on participants is another key area of concern since the subject matter on which data are collected in risk research may be a source of uncertainty, anxiety or unwanted self knowledge. And 3) risk researchers also face the possibility of institutional repercussions of raising risk issues with people who usually normalise the risks, thereby stimulating distrust in the institutions or organisations with formal responsibilities for risk management. There are no simple formulae to guide the researcher in dealing with such ethical issues and paradoxes. It is important, though, to recognise their specificity in risk studies, including the ambiguous status of questions about vulnerability since judgements about 'who is vulnerable' and 'in what ways' are themselves influenced by the situational framings and understandings of participants and researchers.
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Papers by Sophie Sarre