Outsider from within: Reflections on my fieldwork journey in my native/strange Eastern Cape Contexts Stunky Duku 28th October 2006 Sixth Annual Education Students’ Regional Research Conference UWC

Aims of the paper To explore ways in which meaning making is negotiated, To challenge insider outsider dichotomy To reflect on “ethics in practice” (Wren, 2004)

Central argument Process of knowledge meaning is socially constructed Opportunities offered and challenges presented by insider status Impossibility of absolutes in insider/outsider researcher

Research sites 6 sites (50% prior interaction) Negotiation of entry in both school and community levels Share language and cultural background Residence methodology (McMillan & Schumacher, 1993)

Reflections Assumptions before fieldwork: –I had access to the past and present history of the research arena (Schutz, 1976), –Did not expect culture shock or disorientation (Hockey, 1993),

Reflections –Have lived or experienced their material in some fashion (Miller & Glasser, 1997), –Would be able to define research journey, including researcher researched power dynamics,

Reflections Experiences: –Was accepted by respondents, –Had a fair advantage of the language, –Was challenged by the language “private code”, (Schutz, 1976) “Native going stranger” (Hockey, 1993)

Reflections –Respondents defined roles and identities, –Re-negotiated ethics in practice, –Was the other to respondents as they were to me, –Some respondents’ familiarity with ‘my background’ evoked negative perception about research

Conclusions Meaning making is socially constructed by researcher and researched Appreciation of the re-locations and dislocations of researcher roles/identities Impossibility of absolute insider/outsider status, Appreciation of insider and outsider roles to inform and enhance research experience