Contingent Ethics in Critical Ethnography

2015

Research with persons who have experienced trauma requires careful consideration. In preparing the ethics protocol for an ethnographic study of an anti-rape protest, we thought carefully about how the first author would manage ethical decisions in accordance with the University ethics code. However, this process did not prepare us for the dynamic and reciprocal positioning the first author encountered in the field. Nor was she prepared for her sense of the ethical duty of response when entrusted with the narratives of women who had suffered ‘irredeemable harm’. Drawing on the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, and examples from the research, we show how ethical decision-making in ethnographic research is always relational and dialogical; extending beyond our direct interactions with participants to the ways in which we approach our ‘data’. We argue that ethics cannot be reduced to a cognitive-rational process and propose ways to acknowledge and draw on the ‘affective’ and ‘transcendent...

Report commissioned by the Ethics Unit B6, DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission. The main audience for this Report are the members of ethics review panels who might not be so familiar with ethnographic research or qualitative research methods. Ethical review should be informed by the underlying theoretical and methodological assumptions of the discipline which frames the research proposal. This requires the provision of a full justification of the research approach from the research proposer, together with a properly constituted and competent review panel and a robust, fair and transparent review process.

Ethical dilemmas and self-reflexivity in ethnographic fieldwork, 2022

Whilst ethnography has been increasingly adopted by translation researchers in examining various sociological aspects of translation (e.g. Marinetti and Rose 2013; Olohan and Davitti 2015; Anonymous 2020), the ethical dilemmas that an ethnographer encounters are often overlooked in translation studies literature. Drawing on the fieldnote data, this presentation sets out to engage in a self-reflexive analysis of the following issues: What ethical dilemmas did I grapple with during the fieldwork? How did the doubts and anxieties change my behaviour in the field and my perceptions of research participants? How can an ethnographer cope with these challenges? I first briefly introduce the study of online collaborative translations in China for which I undertook fieldwork in order to collect first-hand data. Then I move on to discuss an ethnographic methodology underpinned by hermeneutics and its core method of participant observation. My fieldwork can be broadly divided into three stages, i.e. descriptive observation and non-participation; focused observation and moderate participation; and selective observation and active participation (Anonymous 2019). The ethical challenges that I encountered at each stage were influenced by different factors as my familiarity with the research participants and the depth of the involvement in the field evolved. In the initial stage, I struggled between undertaking covert or overt research (Lugosi 2008: 133), asking myself if I should be a “candid ethnographer” (Fine 1993: 282). In the second stage when I started to interact with the community members, I became a ‘self-censored ethnographer’, mostly yielding to others, including the moments when I felt uncomfortable with the gender-biased remarks made by one of the participants. In the third stage, which was also the stage when I felt ‘native’ in the community, I questioned myself if I was a “fair ethnographer” (ibid.: 285) and whether I kept a balance between the multiple roles that I played simultaneously. The self-reflections and analyses in hindsight reveal that the ethical dilemmas that one may encounter in the field can be heterogeneous, highly contextual and personal, subjecting to particular interactive instances. As an ethnographer, one may continue to struggle with unpredictable ethical challenges with which may be best dealt with constant, critical and conscious self-reflexivity.

2020

There are several frameworks and approaches, addressing how to conduct ethnographic and qualitative field work in various settings. However, going by the book might not be an option when conducting research in politically charged, unstable or simply non-western regions. Politics, social pressure and even someone's personal safety might be necessary to consider. Another important area to consider are research ethics. Privacy policies might do their work with regard to existing laws which differ from each country and should ensure no harm for all involved parties, but how can this be guaranteed and does it also cover all aspects of ethics? Including stakeholders as a basis for user-centered work and design is common. But what does participation mean in such contexts? The questions are: What is important to consider when conducting ethnographic field work in such settings? How can we foster different degrees of genuine participation? How can we ensure, that the work we do is ethically correct without endangering the research outcome? In this workshop, we invite researchers and practitioners to rethink existing methods and approaches and start working on guidelines, that better serves the needs of such specific and to some extent critical circumstances.

International Journal of Research in Interdisciplinary Studies, 2024

This paper provides a critical review of the ethical issues and methodological advancements in ethnographic research, focusing on the complexities and dilemmas introduced observed in empirical context by different scientific studies. By synthesizing existing literature, the paper examines key ethical concerns such as maintaining ongoing consent and confidentiality, as well as the challenge of balancing researcher engagement with the field, and subjective worldview with objective reality. It also explores the impact of technological advancements and digital tools, including their role in studying online communities and diverse cultural settings. These innovations offer substantial benefits for enhancing ethnographic research but also introduce new ethical dilemmas that require thoughtful consideration. To conclude, this paper highlights the necessity for researchers to integrate these new methodologies while upholding rigorous ethical standards, offering insights into how ethnographic practice can adapt to contemporary challenges while preserving its foundational principles. Index Terms-ethnographic research, ethical issues, methodological advancements, digital tools, research review, research ethics.

Sociological Review, 1980

Commissioned paper for the Ethics Unit of the European Commission to advise ethics review panels on ethical issues in qualitative research, ethnography and anthropology.

2012

In this article, we engage with some of the ethical challenges we faced during a four-year postcritical ethnography that focused on the resettlement experiences of Burundians with refugee status living in southern Appalachia in the United States. We discuss how we navigated decisions about what and how to share all that we learned, particularly as we sought to protect and honor what participants shared and experienced. Broadly, we frame our decision-making process in relation to the notions of ethics in practice and relational ethics. Notably, we complicate commitments to transparency, trustworthiness, and advocacy, as we examine issues of responsibility and representation. We conclude by offering three considerations or "lessons learned" for qualitative researchers, including the: 1. value of generating a layered account of experience; 2. potentiality of experimental forms of writing, and 3. importance of foregrounding relational ethics.