Ethnographers face many dilemmas while trying obtaining information for their research. First, if the researcher goes undercover without telling the participants involved, they face the dilemma of becoming attached to the persons they are studying, then feeling guilty or betrayal for publishing parts of their research. On the other hand, if they tell the people they are studying them, and taking notes on their behavior, they persons involved with study will behave differently, and the ethnographer will not obtain correct information about what they are studying because the persons may not be truthful. Also, any informants that are interviewed may not credible, because they could be bias against the subject being analyzed.
I don't know if there are any good ways to resolve these dilemmas. The only thing I can think of is being strong while immersing yourself within the project, and try to be as unbias as possible. If they cannot take emotion out of the research, then they should publish their finding anonymously.
I agree with you! A major morality problem would be lying to the people you are observing. I do not think I could do it, what if the people being observed do not believe in being observed for research purposes, and that is the reason for going undercover. The researcher is going against their wishes and is completely aware with it. I do not believe there is a way around not feeling wrong about what is being done. In this scenario the researcher should be honest and try could come up with boundaries they will not cross. That way he/she is being honorable and upfront about their intentions.
ReplyDeleteHello Miss B,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with both the moral dilemmas and solutions to the issues ethnographers might face throughout their research. Ethnographic research is very complex and can be similar to that of an undercover detective. In certain situations, individuals can get too involved in a group to where they forgot their purpose for being there. I also agree that being unbiased in their research can be challenging. Before researching certain topics or individuals we already have an idea of who those people are from situations from the past. To drop all your beliefs and pick up theirs is extremely difficult. These factors contribute to the immense and lengthy study that ethnographers usually experience. Overall, I enjoyed your post and agreed completely with your claims.
Good Job,
-g23
Hi, I total agree with you. You did a really good job on this post. the dilemmas are spot on. If the researcher goes undercover they could build a relationship with the people or person they are researching, making it harder for the researcher to lie to the person being researched. Also it could make it harder for the researcher to publish his or her findings because they might feel guilty as if they are betraying the person or people they are researching and just so happend to create a relationship with. Next i also agree that the person, if they know they are being researched, could act differently because they dont want to be researched which can cause problems for the researcher and the project. Great job on the post
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