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... researcher no longer a novice? Would her research have been better done by someone with more experience? Q 3: Where would you place Russell's work in Gephart's research traditions? Q 1: Impact of Age on Ethnographic Research The paper relates to the experience of Lisa Russell, an ethnographer born and brought up in North England.
She was rather young aged about 23 / 24 and a novice as far as qualitative research was concerned when she undertook her first fieldwork as part of a qualitative research to investigate into the delicate subject of student resistance. Two schools in Birmingham (England) and one in Sydney (Australia) were earmarked for the purpose of her fieldwork. As such, her fieldwork involved groups of teenaged students as her primary subjects. As noted in the Abstract by Lisa Russell (2005, p. 181), her paper was intended to bring out the following: Implications of investigation of facts relating to student resistance. The effect of individual disposition of the researcher on the research process. Significance of the role assumed by the researcher while conducting research in the school.
Impact of shedding of this role when researcher leaves the field at the end of her research. With regard to her first feelings while making her maiden entry to a new world she says, As a young, novice ethnographer entering the field for the first time, I was exposed to a number of issues surrounding the relationship between the researcher and the researched. Experiences both recognizable to qualitative researchers and those more distinct given my age, stature and nature of the investigation are examined (L. Russell 2005, p. 181). It was rather apparent from the very beginning that she certainly had certain qualms about her age being a major factor in deciding her success or failure. As it ultimately turned out, her initial doubts proved somewhat right.
Because, in the course of her work she encountered situations that had elements of both advantages as well as disadvantages in so far as her age was concerned. Advantages Since her subjects included teenaged students, Russell's youthful disposition turned out to be extremely advantageous. The students immediately accepted her as almost one of them. Her small, innocent appearance also helped.
She never appeared to them as a researcher trying to probe into their personal traits or affairs, nor did they consider her someone alike their teachers whom they, more or less, dreaded. It became easy for the young researcher to deal with the students rather effortlessly whether it involved talking, playing, during class hours or even while following them around for her investigation purposes. This kind of trust and rapport between the researcher and the researched certainly helped Russell to achieve a great part of her research goal rather effortlessly. Obtaining the trust of her other subjects the teachers was not as easy. Nevertheless her apparent naivety and sincere approach to the cause helped her in gaining more than adequate support from most of the teacher fraternities in all the three schools.
Even though there were a few obvious disadvantages with regard to her age, the extent of advantages was far too large. It will be apt to quote one of Russell's own notes here: I was a young ethnographer researching teenagers. This influenced the rapport I gained and the interaction I experienced with the teachers and students. I experienced the transaction of moving into this least adult role differently. Although I experienced times of helplessness and discomfort I had no previous knowledge of how to deal with situations (as a teacher or as a researcher).
My naivety and age enabled students to relax and trust me more readily (L. Russell 2005, p. 193). Disadvantages The primary disadvantage encountered by Russell was her over-identification with the students. This made her a target of antagonism of some of the staff members. Her lack of strictness towards the disorderly students was seen as one of her weaknesses. She was, in fact, treated as an inexperienced outsider by the teaching staff.
The major disadvantage, however, was inside here occasional loss of confidence in herself. Discussing one of her bad moments, she says, Thus my lack of experience as a teacher and researcher, together with the aim of the research, made me feel uneasy in certain situations (L Russell 2005, p. 191). Q 2: Novice Vs Old Hand There is a general notion that an experienced hand is always superior to a novice in almost every field, except may be, in some disciplines of sports. However, the notion does not hold water in many other cases, when there are many other important variables also present. Likewise, in the case of Lisa Russell, the proximity of age between the researcher and the researched in this instance both being young and naivet ended to work to the advantage of the former. Let us see what Russell herself says about this: I had no previous experience as a teacher or a researcher.
My relative naivety concerning the practicalities involved in conducting research that aims to understand the world of the students and researchers meant that I experienced particular issues and dilemmas while attempting to balance the trust relationship between the researched (the students and teachers) and meIn some ways my novice naivety acted as a benefit when trying to manage the impulsive and sometimes shocking behaviour of students (Russell 2005, p. 182). In another instance, Russell (2005, p. 195196) mentions about the informal intimacy she had developed with the male as well female students due to their closeness of age and how that relation benefited her research. Elsewhere, she mentions My quiet, reserved disposition and smallness in height and build influenced the way students and teachers related to me. I faded into the background. Students would often forget my presence; sometimes teachers and other students mistook me for a student (Russell L. 2005, p. 195).
The above notwithstanding, it is an established fact that the tact and confidence displayed by veteran researchers do matter in many situations. This is evident from a statement made by Russell (2005, p. 188) as to how her improved confidence and enhanced experience boosted her capabilities to gain information to a new height. On the other hand, she spoke of times when her lack of adequate experience made her feel uneasy in certain situations, and a few of them difficult to handle (L Russell 2005, 191 and 193). In the light of the above especially the accounts of Russell's feelings about being successful in spite of being a young and novice researcher it is rather apparent that the end result does not necessarily depend on the experience factor, at least not always. It is the situation and the people, combined with the will, drive and tact displayed by a researcher that matters, and that can spell success most of the times.
Q 3: Russell's Work Vis-a-Vis Gephart's Research Traditions Even though there is a sprinkling of positivism as well as interpretive research methodologies in the Russell paper, the approach is unquestionably post modernism. This observation is strictly based on the factors listed by Gepharts (2004, p. 456) at Table 1 of his paper: Assumptions about Reality: The assumptions are based on historical realism involving the relationships traditionally existing between teachers and students. This approach is substantiated by the following extract inserted by Russell (2005, p. 181) at the beginning of her Introduction: All educational ethnographies have a hidden history; a narrative of what really happened while doing educational research Goal: The goal of Russell's research required revelation of interests and contradictions that have been traditionally hidden in the relationship of students and teachers through critical analysis, makeover as well as to facilitate elimination of hostile outlook any present order to balance the relationship between the two groups of subjects. Tasks: As is typical to post modernism, Russell's tasks included developing structural/ historical insights that could unearth contradictions among the researched subjects and facilitate emancipation while encouraging outspoken communications. Unit of Analysis: The unit of analysis constituted the same elements such as contradictions, critical events, and signs / symbols which are highly relevant to post modernism tradition. It is, however, noted that verbal and nonverbal action, characteristically applicable to interpretive research, seemed to have also been used to a great extent.
Methods Focus: The basic method requirements for post modernism comprehension of the origin of meanings, material practices, conflicts / contradictions and disparities are also seen to have been adopted by Russell rather comprehensively. Bibliography Aukerman, John H 2004, Philosophy of Research, School of Theology: Anderson University, Writing Guide, chapter 1, viewed 29 December 2007, < web >. Gepharts, R. P 2004, FROM THE EDITORS: Qualitative Research and the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 452 - 462.
Giles, Kendall 2000, Understanding Ancient Martial Arts Texts: Pooh and Hermeneutics, InYo: Journal of Alternative Perspectives Dec 2000, viewed 28 December 2007, < web >. Lewis, Melinda 1995. Focus group interviews in qualitative research: a review of the literature, Action research Electronic Reader, Health Science Education Faculty of Health Sciences The University of Sydney, viewed 30 December 2007, and < web >. Littler, Dale & Marsden, David 1999, A DIALECTICAL APPROACH TO CONSUMER RESEARCH: BEYOND POSITIVISM AND POSTMODERNISM, European Advances in Consumer Research, volume 4, pp. 34146, viewed 30 December 2007, < web >. Myers, Michael D 2007, Qualitative Research in Information Systems, Association For Information Systems, viewed 29 December 2007, < web >.
Nova, G 1996, Polemics in Marxist Philosophy, Pathfinder: New York. Ospina, Sonia 2004, Qualitative Research, Encyclopedia of Leadership, Sage Publications, London, Thousands Oak CA, New Delhi, viewed 30 December 2007, < web >. Robertson, Terry 2005, Class Issues: A Critical Ethnography of Corporate Domination within the Classroom, Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, volume 3, number 2 (October 2005, ISSN 17402743, viewed 28 December 2007, < web >. Russell, L 2005, Its a question of trust: balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork, Qualitative Research, 5 (2), pp. 18199, Sage Publications.
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