ABSTRACT
This conclusion chapter presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book depicts fieldwork as a site of personal and professional contestation, but this process can also potentially make researchers more fully human as they push their own boundaries to become one with the suffering of others, share their triumphs and celebrate the indomitable human spirit to survive and live with hope. Ethics is a dynamic arena of enquiry that researchers should be willing to engage with their research. Difficulties emerge due to existing power relationships in the societies being studied, and the potential for research topics to threaten these structural power relations are fraught with challenges. Researchers should anticipate difficulties in their path and work toward strengthening their capabilities through careful training, engaging closely with their peers and creating support networks with them. Researchers should be aware of their personal trajectories and how this influences their well-being in studying difficult topics.
