Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants

Scholars have long been interested in researching Roma; a form of “top-down research,” where the  researcher analyzes, gathers data, and interviews the “objects” of the research, is still dominant in the field, although an increasing number of critics have been proposing ways of including Roma in kn...

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Main Author: Jekatyerina Dunajeva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Romani Studies Program at Central European University 2018-12-01
Series:Critical Romani Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://crs.ceu.edu/index.php/crs/article/view/3
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author Jekatyerina Dunajeva
author_facet Jekatyerina Dunajeva
author_sort Jekatyerina Dunajeva
collection DOAJ
description Scholars have long been interested in researching Roma; a form of “top-down research,” where the  researcher analyzes, gathers data, and interviews the “objects” of the research, is still dominant in the field, although an increasing number of critics have been proposing ways of including Roma in knowledge production to shape the discourse about themselves. Exclusion of Roma in the process of research silences their voices and contributes to incomplete, flawed findings that often reinforce stereotypes. This paper takes a critical look at interactions and the power dynamics between the researcher and the informant(s) during research based on one in-depth case study: fieldwork conducted in a small town in Hungary in 2012–13. The presented research is one small step towards deconstructing knowledge production with a focus on research ethics and practice, rather than a large-scale paradigm change. This paper strives to transcend the scholarly field of Romani Studies specifically, and contribute to the broader literature on Social Science methodology, especially scholarship about interpretive methods and fieldwork.
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spelling doaj.art-a4a42c36002d4342aca09c9b6ec12b9e2022-12-22T01:00:28ZengRomani Studies Program at Central European UniversityCritical Romani Studies2560-30192630-855X2018-12-011210.29098/crs.v1i2.33Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and InformantsJekatyerina Dunajeva0Pázmány Péter Catholic UniversityScholars have long been interested in researching Roma; a form of “top-down research,” where the  researcher analyzes, gathers data, and interviews the “objects” of the research, is still dominant in the field, although an increasing number of critics have been proposing ways of including Roma in knowledge production to shape the discourse about themselves. Exclusion of Roma in the process of research silences their voices and contributes to incomplete, flawed findings that often reinforce stereotypes. This paper takes a critical look at interactions and the power dynamics between the researcher and the informant(s) during research based on one in-depth case study: fieldwork conducted in a small town in Hungary in 2012–13. The presented research is one small step towards deconstructing knowledge production with a focus on research ethics and practice, rather than a large-scale paradigm change. This paper strives to transcend the scholarly field of Romani Studies specifically, and contribute to the broader literature on Social Science methodology, especially scholarship about interpretive methods and fieldwork.https://crs.ceu.edu/index.php/crs/article/view/3FieldworkRomaMarginalizationEthicsKnowledge production
spellingShingle Jekatyerina Dunajeva
Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants
Critical Romani Studies
Fieldwork
Roma
Marginalization
Ethics
Knowledge production
title Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants
title_full Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants
title_fullStr Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants
title_full_unstemmed Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants
title_short Power Hierarchies between the Researcher and Informants
title_sort power hierarchies between the researcher and informants
topic Fieldwork
Roma
Marginalization
Ethics
Knowledge production
url https://crs.ceu.edu/index.php/crs/article/view/3
work_keys_str_mv AT jekatyerinadunajeva powerhierarchiesbetweentheresearcherandinformants