Abstract: The researcher is a primary instrument in qualitative research. He/she is the key person
in facilitating conversations during fieldwork and in making sense of the data. Methodological
literature underscores the fact that assuming insider positions or identities during fieldwork aids
qualitative researchers in achieving genuine collaboration, which is necessary for collecting
trustworthy data. Furthermore, the contingency nature of positionality has been acknowledged
sufficiently in literature: whilst the researcher positions himself or herself, he or she is
simultaneously positioned by participants. Despite these insights, the manner in which the
researchers' identities unfold during fieldwork interactions has attracted little attention in social
science scholarship. Detailed accounts of how the researcher might influence the processes of
positionality in order to engage participants in a productive collaboration are few. How might the
researcher influence his or her positionality to meet the demands of collecting trustworthy data? In
this article, I draw on a qualitative study of Zimbabweans in Johannesburg to reflect on how
researchers can potentially negotiate, enact, and perform identities within unique relational spaces
of fieldwork in order to achieve useful collaboration.
Chereni, A (2021). Positionality And Collaboration During Fieldwork: Insights From Research With Co-Nationals Living Abroad. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/positionality-and-collaboration-during-fieldwork-insights-from-research-with-co-nationals-living-abroad
Chereni, Admire "Positionality And Collaboration During Fieldwork: Insights From Research With Co-Nationals Living Abroad" Afribary. Afribary, 04 May. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/positionality-and-collaboration-during-fieldwork-insights-from-research-with-co-nationals-living-abroad. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Chereni, Admire . "Positionality And Collaboration During Fieldwork: Insights From Research With Co-Nationals Living Abroad". Afribary, Afribary, 04 May. 2021. Web. 24 Nov. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/positionality-and-collaboration-during-fieldwork-insights-from-research-with-co-nationals-living-abroad >.
Chereni, Admire . "Positionality And Collaboration During Fieldwork: Insights From Research With Co-Nationals Living Abroad" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 24, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/positionality-and-collaboration-during-fieldwork-insights-from-research-with-co-nationals-living-abroad