ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses some fundamental methodological and ethical issues confronting non-Chinese researchers undertaking research in a Chinese Confucian society, namely, Hong Kong, in 2005. It considers problems pertaining to data collection, the challenges of data interpretation, and the implications this has for research. Whilst the issues discussed are not unique to Hong Kong, there were several matters related to research by ‘outsiders’ that require special attention in the Hong Kong Chinese context, even when the researchers are acquainted with both the context and the participants. Individuals in these societies tend to use avoidance (not discussing topics of conflict or considered taboo) and assume an obliging style to avoid ‘loss of face’ (by respondent or interviewer); or a respondent's relative place in a perceived hierarchy may influence their willingness to offer opinions. Awareness of the socio-cultural context of research participants enhances understanding of the issues at hand. The issues raised in this chapter call for a re-examination and re-theorising of the paradigms that guide research methodology in such Confucian societies.
