ABSTRACT
Based on encounters within the ethnographic fieldwork conducted as a doctoral researcher with older Italians in the North East of England, this chapter foregrounds the position of the ethnographer when interacting with participants connotes experiencing sexual harassment. Within a discussion of ethnographic methods and the safety of the researcher, this work first deliberates on issues that oscillate between the ‘field’ and the ‘self’. Second, this chapter discusses the issues of identity, access, positionality and challenges of conducting research through ethnographic fieldwork. Finally, it discusses the emotional, psychological and social dimensions of the harassment experienced by the researcher, bringing the ‘body’ and its varying perceptions to the fore. This work constitutes an original contribution to the precarious state of working in a community setting at a closer contact with research participants and how that shapes the idea of research fieldwork. The author suggests the varying nature of the ethnographic field and the growing need to reflect on the ‘unspoken risks’ of the fieldwork.
