The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences Research
In recent years, debates on researcher positionality have increasingly gained traction in academic circles. However, despite this increased focus on questions evolving around the impact of the researcher's presence on the research process and outcome, there are still issues that scholars have t...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
FQS
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Forum: Qualitative Social Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/4143 |
| _version_ | 1797340362881105920 |
|---|---|
| author | Jennifer Philippa Eggert Seb Rumsby |
| author_facet | Jennifer Philippa Eggert Seb Rumsby |
| author_sort | Jennifer Philippa Eggert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, debates on researcher positionality have increasingly gained traction in academic circles. However, despite this increased focus on questions evolving around the impact of the researcher's presence on the research process and outcome, there are still issues that scholars have tended to avoid, such as the effect of alcohol on the research process. While existing publications contain some discussion of various aspects related to researchers navigating alcohol consumption during fieldwork, they do not touch on the role of religion—a striking absence considering the prevalence of religious reasons for abstinence. In this article, we therefore build on existing literature by discussing two case studies focused on the experiences of religious researchers with alcohol that help complicate our understanding of the role of alcohol consumption and abstinence during fieldwork. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach and drawing on our fieldwork experiences as a Muslim woman in Lebanon and a Christian man in Vietnam, we discuss how religion affects rapport and insider/outsider dynamics during fieldwork. We conclude with recommendations on how academic institutions can better support students and staff members (regardless of religious identity or lack thereof) when it comes to navigating alcohol consumption during fieldwork and beyond.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:02:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a203b19680c248dfb4de46623bc56829 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-5627 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:02:01Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | FQS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forum: Qualitative Social Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-a203b19680c248dfb4de46623bc568292024-01-29T10:27:30ZdeuFQSForum: Qualitative Social Research1438-56272024-01-0125110.17169/fqs-25.1.4143The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences ResearchJennifer Philippa Eggert0Seb Rumsby1Independent researcherUniversity of BirminghamIn recent years, debates on researcher positionality have increasingly gained traction in academic circles. However, despite this increased focus on questions evolving around the impact of the researcher's presence on the research process and outcome, there are still issues that scholars have tended to avoid, such as the effect of alcohol on the research process. While existing publications contain some discussion of various aspects related to researchers navigating alcohol consumption during fieldwork, they do not touch on the role of religion—a striking absence considering the prevalence of religious reasons for abstinence. In this article, we therefore build on existing literature by discussing two case studies focused on the experiences of religious researchers with alcohol that help complicate our understanding of the role of alcohol consumption and abstinence during fieldwork. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach and drawing on our fieldwork experiences as a Muslim woman in Lebanon and a Christian man in Vietnam, we discuss how religion affects rapport and insider/outsider dynamics during fieldwork. We conclude with recommendations on how academic institutions can better support students and staff members (regardless of religious identity or lack thereof) when it comes to navigating alcohol consumption during fieldwork and beyond. https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/4143alcoholAutoethnographyfieldworkLebanonreligionreligious positionality |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer Philippa Eggert Seb Rumsby The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences Research Forum: Qualitative Social Research alcohol Autoethnography fieldwork Lebanon religion religious positionality |
| title | The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences Research |
| title_full | The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences Research |
| title_fullStr | The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences Research |
| title_short | The Spirit of Fieldwork? Navigating Alcohol Consumption, Abstinence and Religious Positionalities in Social Sciences Research |
| title_sort | spirit of fieldwork navigating alcohol consumption abstinence and religious positionalities in social sciences research |
| topic | alcohol Autoethnography fieldwork Lebanon religion religious positionality |
| url | https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/4143 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jenniferphilippaeggert thespiritoffieldworknavigatingalcoholconsumptionabstinenceandreligiouspositionalitiesinsocialsciencesresearch AT sebrumsby thespiritoffieldworknavigatingalcoholconsumptionabstinenceandreligiouspositionalitiesinsocialsciencesresearch AT jenniferphilippaeggert spiritoffieldworknavigatingalcoholconsumptionabstinenceandreligiouspositionalitiesinsocialsciencesresearch AT sebrumsby spiritoffieldworknavigatingalcoholconsumptionabstinenceandreligiouspositionalitiesinsocialsciencesresearch |