lives and consequently emotional involvement is difficult to avoid.
Emotional involvement may take its toll on the researcher. For that reason,
there should be more attention to the effects sensitive research has on the
researcher. Debriefing with colleagues is a necessity when doing sensitive
research. However, colleagues may not be involved in the same type of
research or not around when needed. Guidance from a professional may be
a better option. In any case, one should think about the need of self-care
before starting the research.
To deal with the emotional toll of my research, the emotional connected-
ness with the youngsters also proved helpful. I was not only a researcher
but also a fellow human being.
By accepting one’s own emotions, researchers will therefore be more
able to utilize the emotional connection with the people and situations they
are studying (Whiteman, Mu ̈ller,& Johnson, 2009, p. 56). Some of my
respondents said that their involvement with the research was also a sort of
emotional support because I was interested in their experiences and views.
In my view, not supporting youngsters in need is unethical. Furthermore,
only by providing some sort of support was I able to complete my
fieldwork.
Overall, existing ethical guidelines only seem to provide a guide that
helpsresearchers to consider potential ethical issues. They do not appear to
provide clear applications to the ethical dilemmas researchers face
(Morrow & Richards, 1996). Because all circumstances differ, a set of
ethical values should be developed with room for flexibility. In my view,
researchers should first of all seek a compromise between existing ethical
guidelines, local perceptions and circumstances and the researcher’s own
views and ideas. Furthermore, as ethical dilemmas may arise at any stage
of the research (Morrow & Richards, 1996, p. 95) and are also not always
anticipated, the researcher needs to be continuing reflecting and adapting
these guidelines.
REFERENCES
American Anthropological Association (AAA). (2009).Code of ethics. Retrieved fromhttp://
http://www.aaanet.org/issues/policy-advocacy/upload/AAA-Ethics-Code-2009.pdf. Accessed
onMay 4, 2013.
Archard, D. (2004).Children: Rights and childhood(2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Becker, H. (1967). Whose side are we own?Social Problems, 14 (3), 239247.
Butler, A. (2004).Contemporary South Africa. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Mission Impossible 75