PlumX Metrics
Embed PlumX Metrics

Ethical Challenges in Participant Observation: A Reflection on Ethnographic Fieldwork

The Qualitative Report, ISSN: 1052-0147, Vol: 13, Issue: 1, Page: 100-115
2008
  • 1
    Citations
  • 28,475
    Usage
  • 370
    Captures
  • 1
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

Most Recent News

Ethical and Methodological Challenges for a Lawyer Facing Fieldwork Amidst the Working Poor/Desafios eticos y metodologicos que enfrenta un abogado al realizar trabajo de campo con trabajadores vulnerables/Desafios eticos e metodologicos que enfrenta um a

Introduction It is not easy to find papers written by Colombian scholars that reflect on the theoretical and methodological challenges that arise when conducting fieldwork.

Article Description

In this essay I reflect on the ethical challenges of ethnographic fieldwork I personally experienced in a female gambling study. By assuming a covert research role, I was able to observe natural occurrences of female gambling activities but unable to make peace with disturbing feelings of my research concealment. By making my study overt, I was able to fulfill ethical obligations as a researcher but unable to get female gamblers to speak their minds. I responded to such ethical dilemmas by adjusting the level of involvement, participating in female gambling culture as an insider and observing it as an outsider. This fieldwork suggests that the ethics of participant observation should be addressed in relation to the sensitivity of the research topic, the vulnerability of the researched individuals, and the plasticity of field membership roles

Provide Feedback

Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know