Written by:
Guest Author
In this piece, Sarah Sweeney, PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, shares reflections from her experience, and personal journey, carrying out ethnographic research on place-based intergenerational practice.
Conducting Ethnographic Research in an Intergenerational Place: Navigating Researcher Positionality & Reflexivity
I would like to start by admitting that writing a Think Piece makes me feel like a fish out of water, as it essentially flies in the face of everything that is taught in academic writing. It is, however, a very welcome change, and an opportunity to reflect on my experience, the interpersonal relationships that I have formed and the impact that my presence can have whilst conducting ethnographic research in the context of an intergenerational hub.
I should start by introducing myself – I am a third year PhD student at Heriot-Watt University who is conducting research on the development of place-based intergenerational hubs, specifically interested in how such places can support social wellbeing and relationships with place. Over the past year and a half, I have embedded myself within the research context that I am exploring, by becoming a volunteer at the Citadel Youth Centre in Leith. I have attempted to establish myself within the organisation to build relationships based on reciprocity so that I can better understand the research phenomenon (intergenerational practice) as well as laying a foundation for trust and familiarity with the participants of my research.
This approach has been both a rewarding and challenging process but is one which I believe will produce valuable insights and better represent the lived experience of the different generations involved. However, this approach does require a great deal of consideration of my positionality, how my presence and actions may impact the research environment and relationships present, and reflexivity, reflecting on my interpretations of what is occurring within the intergenerational hub and providing clarity over potential bias due to my unique interpretation.
Something that I did not predict when starting on this journey was the impact that being a part of an intergenerational hub might have on my own wellbeing and sense of place. I moved to Edinburgh in 2019, just before the Covid19 pandemic, and struggled to establish myself and build connections within my community for many years because of this. Through my involvement with the Citadel, I have noticed a stronger sense of belonging in my local community, as well as a broadening web of connections that transcends identity differences such as age, gender, and background. I have experienced a noticeable increase in confidence via the relationships that I have built with others during my time there, which has supported me through the past two years of my PhD. The reason that I reflect on these changes, is that according to existing literature, these are outcomes experienced commonly by younger participants of intergenerational practice. Therefore, I am noticing tangible evidence of being impacted by the phenomenon that I am researching.
While these are undoubtedly positive personal changes that I am experiencing, this can present challenges when considering my dual identity as a researcher and volunteer. Having volunteered within the Citadel Youth Centre for almost 2 years, you do in a sense, become ‘part of the furniture’. It is impossible to remain entirely objective when you embed yourself in a group to this degree and therefore is vital to be able to identify and reflect on changes in your perspective and interpretations over this period.
I must also consider the effect that my presence can have on impacting the group’s behaviour. Aspects of my identity, for example, that influence the perception of me as either an insider or outsider, can not only affect how individuals and the group behave, but also can influence to what extent participants feel that they can ‘be themselves’ around me and express their experiences. The simple awareness of being observed can result in the Hawthorne effect – where individuals or groups subconsciously alter their behaviour, thereby reducing the authenticity of interactions and invalidating observations that I record. This meant that getting to know participants and ensuring that they were comfortable around me was essential. With the ongoing support of the Citadel team, I have had to dynamically learn essential skills and experience for working with younger and older people with little to no previous experience. Lastly, maintaining a consistent relationship with the community once the research has concluded is important, and I must always be aware of the negative impact that parachuting in and out can have on individuals and the group.
Although there is a very valid need for myself to mitigate potential bias and to remain as objective as possible, I do believe that the approach of fully embedding oneself in an intergenerational place and building relationships with the different generations involved is an incredibly valuable approach to community engaged research and allows for a much deeper understanding of the daily lived experiences and perspectives of the different generations involved in place-based intergenerational practice. Reciprocity is not only a key element of effective intergenerational practice, but also in the researcher/participant relationship. Community engaged research should always be mutually beneficial, and I believe that acting as a volunteer has allowed me to ensure that my researcher participant relationships are built on reciprocity. I anticipate that this approach will produce far more valuable insights coming from an insider perspective – in a sense, walking a mile in another’s shoes.
All images courtesy of Sarah Sweeney and The Citadel.
About the Author
I am a 3rd year Heriot-Watt PhD student conducting ethnographic case study research exploring how place-based intergenerational practice can support social wellbeing, and have been fully embedded in an intergenerational hub, the Citadel Youth Centre, for almost 2 years as a volunteer. I hope to present valuable findings that are representative of the lived experiences and perspectives of the different generations involved in my research following this approach.