ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the shifting positionality of the researcher as insider–outsider–Other, while conducting qualitative and ethnographic research in a divided society. The research under discussion here took place in Northern Ireland, on the topic of community-based restorative justice initiatives that were set up and run by former paramilitaries. The fieldwork was essentially cross-cultural in nature, and a range of ethical dilemmas arose as a result, including conversations about religion and sport, the words and accents spoken, and challenges that occurred as a result of interviewing both police and former paramilitaries. The tension between communities, and between community and state, meant that the process of negotiating and keeping access, collecting data across different field sites, as well as dissemination of data, were all ethical challenges unique to cross-cultural research. From a perspective of positionality, the aim was to become and remain a “trusted outsider”, while traversing various ethical dilemmas with the aim of not being classified as the Other.
