Who's in charge here?

The relationship between researcher and subject has often been portrayed as exploitative (e.g., Stacey 1988; Lather 1986; Oakley 1984; Finch 1984). Researchers don’t inform participants about the research; they don’t reveal personal information; they obfuscate and sometimes lie if pressed on the purpose of the study. Yet they expect participants to be open, trusting and honest with them.

Feminist researchers such as Stacey and Lather have, however, criticised this inequality of power, developing an approach which is termed ‘participative enquiry’ or even ‘emancipatory research’. This suggests that researchers will gain better results, and operate more ethically, if they are completely open and honest with participants. This means telling them the real research agenda, allowing them to influence the questions asked, and asking for their co-operation in seeking a solution jointly. It means treating them as intelligent equals, not as passive ‘respondents’.

If you read Oakley, Finch or Lather on the subject, you may feel that their portrayal of research as sisterly, feminist emancipation is far removed from commercial realities. There are, however, insights in their work which we could use in commercial ethnography. Why not allow participants to set the agenda and give them a full explanation of the research’s goals? What about involving them in research design, so they can suggest the most appropriate methods, where to conduct the observations, and who to include? Not received wisdom for most of us, but we stand to gain stronger engagement and commitment, as well as some good ideas, from those closest to the problem.