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The politics of access in fieldwork: Immersion, backstage dramas and deception
Cunliffe, Ann L. Alcadipani da Silveira, F.
Cunliffe, Ann L.
Alcadipani da Silveira, F.
Publication Date
2016-10
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(c) 2016 The Authors. Full-text reproduced in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy.
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openAccess
Accepted for publication
24/02/2016
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Abstract
Gaining access in fieldwork is crucial to the success of research, and may often be problematic because it involves working in complex social situations. This paper examines the intricacies of access, conceptualizing it as a fluid, temporal and political process that requires sensitivity to social issues and to potential ethical choices faced by both researchers and organization members. Our contribution lies in offering ways in which researchers can reflexively negotiate the challenges of access by: 1. Underscoring the complex and relational nature of access by conceptualizing three relational perspectives – instrumental, transactional and relational – proposing the latter as a strategy for developing a diplomatic sensitivity to the politics of access; 2. Explicating the political, ethical and emergent nature of access by framing it as an ongoing process of immersion, backstage dramas, and deception; and 3. Offering a number of relational micropractices to help researchers negotiate the complexities of access. We illustrate the challenges of gaining and maintaining access through examples from the literature and from Rafael’s attempts to gain access to carry out fieldwork in a Police Force.
Version
Accepted manuscript
Citation
Cunliffe AL and Alcadipani da Silveira R (2016) The politics of access in fieldwork: Immersion, backstage dramas and deception. Organizational Research Methods. 19(4): 535-561.
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Article