After almost one month, I have obtained some important contacts in the field. However, I am facing some difficulties, such as ethical issues, relationships and so on.
My research question is how local people perceive and react to state's relocation programmes in Hanoi. They are facing a great deal of hardship at both kinds of security: physical security and existential security. They are being forced to relocate to a new place with an amount of money. However, they think that the compensation rate is not fair and not high enough for them to relocate. They are struggling for a fairer and higher rate.
I have found that they have used a number of methods to express their aspirations, for example they used Newspapers, Television programs and Demonstrations as means to express. However, their efforts seem to be ignored by the local authority.
The main problem I am facing is that I am only a researcher, I can not help them to raise the compensation rate. When I first met them, they thought I was a cadre who was collecting their aspirations to report to the authority (although I made it clear that I am only a researcher from a research institute). But after few times talking with me, they realize that I am only a small cadre who is useless for them. They seem not to like to talk to me as much as the times before.
What can I do now? I think the only thing I can do is to be patient! Is it right?
The first ethical issue is that I am conducting fieldwork in their home area. I go to my informants' house and interview them. After few times, I have felt weird to do that, because I only interview them, collect their information, sit in their house, drink their tea without giving back to them anything. Do you also have that feeling? Have any suggestions?
The second ethical issue is that I am collecting information about their life and most of them are suffering from the relocation project. Some of them have asked me: What do you want from us? We are suffering from the project, our life is bad, very bad now. We only want to hide it but you come here and keep asking things. Why do you want to reveal our sufferings? I am puzzled when facing that kind of questions. Do you have any suggestion for me?
Anyhow, I have had some key informants who have provided me a great deal of information.
Hope it will be ok!
Good luck to you all!
Hoang Shark!
3 comments:
Good Luck. I'm sure that something will come out. I wish I could give you more professional advice though I think you have to persuade them. I'm asuming that their reaction to the government effects their attitude highly. Therefore, evethough you may not do much helping you should try. Try convincing them that if you had to choose you would've preferred their side to the government's, and that takes time. I believe you're doing the right thing by keeping honesty and patience. Good luck man!
Hi Hoang,
I feel the same, at the times when I was in the village, I visited the people with a guide who would translate and I would be offered a chair while they were sitting on the ground. I think as well about how to deal with this because I am going back to spend some more time in this village. What I did on occassions was letting them ask me questions about the Netherlands and Germany, this is something you can give them in a sense, bringing them into another world by just telling something about these other countries. I afterwards had the feeling that I had given them something as well, maybe that works for you as well.
All the best
Julia
Shark! Don't give up the faith man!! Of course, doing sensitive research is very difficult. Be patient and honest, and show them that you are truly interested in their lives, not only in graduating. These are your most important tools. Good luck, shark-power! Erik
Post a Comment