From fried egg to mashed potato and lentils: navigating positionalities in ethnographic research in a Global South context

Shajed Rahman*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

The current debates in the area of researchers' positionalities criticise the notion of the 'insider/outsider' dichotomy and favour the idea of a fluid inbetweener position. However, these narratives foreground researchers' perspectives and often ignore participants' agency in constructing a researcher's positionality in the field. In this paper, as an early career researcher, I analyse my journey with my own positionalities in ethnographic research in a rural community in Bangladesh. Adopting a Critical Realist ontological standpoint, I argue that positionalities are co-constructed by researcher and participant and are products of complex interactions between their agencies and the social structure. I illustrate how reflexivity, taking both my and the participants’ views into account, facilitated my movement towards a position where the participants expose their habitual behaviour (not hesitating to offer their day-to-day food - mash potato) rather than providing superficial information (as they do to a guest, for whom they will at least fry an egg- a special arrangement- for dinner).
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages13
JournalInternational Journal of Research and Method in Education
Early online date28 Feb 2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 28 Feb 2023

Keywords

  • reflection, qualitative method
  • ethnography
  • positionalities
  • insider
  • outsider

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education

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