When the Methodological Shoe is on the Other Foot: African American Interviewer and White Interviewees |
| |
Authors: | Reuben A Buford May |
| |
Institution: | 1. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
|
| |
Abstract: | Some scholars engaging in the insider/outsider debate have argued that the pairing of researcher and subjects based on racial similarity—i.e., “race matching”—is the most effective means for conducting qualitative research. Although insider/outsider status has been discussed with respect to white researchers' studies of African Americans, I explore the heretofore rarely discussed situation in which an African American is the researcher and whites are the subjects. I argue that insider status with respect to race continues to be based on a presumed connectedness linked to phenotypical characteristics—like skin color or hair texture. Yet, rather than experiencing a solely insider or outsider status, researchers and subjects experience what I call “insider moments” wherein their interests converge and they are able to share in the kinds of interactions that yield important insights. I conclude by evaluating the utility of insider/outsider status in qualitative research. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|