resistance to being an object of research, etc.) or to characteristics attribu-
ted to the population observed (social class, professional culture, etc.). The
following obstacles are then noted: refusal to give access to the field
(Monjardet, 2005, p. 14), the dangerous or politically sensitive aspect of the
field (Boumaza & Campana, 2007; Massicard, 2002), or the cultural rituals
of self-presentation (Pinc ̧ on & Pinc ̧ on-Charlot, 2002).
But some difficulties during observation arise from the researcher herself
(suchas my relative capacity to maintain or adjust my position as observer)
or have solutions that only the researcher can formulate with the resources
she manages to mobilize (How to work on emotions in an observation
situation?). Such difficulties are undoubtedly much harder to present and
they convey all the discomfort of a field. To carry out an observation is
also to experience uncertainty. “In the field, there is experience, and
through experience the knowledge-producing activity is situated. This is
why the researcher is in the field (somewhat like ‘in the mine’ and much
like in the laboratory) and not ‘on’ the field, in a dominant position and
sure of her expertise” (Retaille ́, 2010 , p. 86). Moreover, I also feel a certain
vulnerability in the back and forth between the field and the other social
scenes described below. I believe it is crucial for the researcher to remain
sensitive to this in her apprehension of the field and to be aware that
difficulties springing from the barriers, from emotions, and from the “unex-
pected effects” in each of the social scenes, naturally tend to influence the
positions adopted by the observer “in the field.”
THE RESEARCHER’S DIFFERENT SOCIAL SCENES
The “social scenes” discussed in this paper are the distinct social environ-
ments that make up the framework of my everyday life: the research field,
my private social life, and the professional academic environment. Each of
these environments has its own specific characteristics, such as degree of
familiarity and mode of communication, which distinguish it from the
others, and in each environment I adopt specific positions. These positions
fulfill requirements of “the presentation of self” (Goffman, 1959)developed
in my inner self (the personal scene), ranging from untamed desires to pre-
cisely reasoned and delineated objectives. For example, I am able to
develop a conciliatory position with a touch of humor, either because of a
quasi-involuntary need to seek the approval of my professional academic
environment, or else with the specific aim of gathering useful information
48 CAROLINE DE MAN