Sensitive research frequently concentrates on individuals or communities who are marginalized, discriminated against, or at risk. Researchers have frequently questioned whether using weak and powerless people in their studies is ethical. The risks and rewards of conducting the research must balance each other out. Some researchers might view avoiding study on sensitive subjects as an attempt to avoid taking responsibility.
Chicagoans were the first to do sociological research on controversial themes and give it credence. Many of the themes explored by the early Chicago sociologists are now considered sensitive. Much of their study focused on family, friendships, and communities, frequently requiring access to the participants' private lives. During the social transitions of the 1960s and 1970s, major developments occurred in social research worldwide. Research programs began to broaden to cover subjects previously receiving little attention owing to perceived sensitivity, such as safe sex practices, domestic violence, and alcoholism. Other breakthroughs in the social study included underdog sociology, as Alvin Gouldner termed it. This form of study was connected with writers such as Howard Becker, who began to focus on deviance research.
The political Women's Liberation Movement of the 1960s gave rise to contemporary feminism, which included efforts against the objectification of women as sexual objects for male consumption and violence against women. Feminist research originated as a sort of study in the 1960s, with debates about whether or not there is a feminist methodology. Raymond Lee agrees that feminist scholars tend to share a dedication to certain methods of investigating women and their social situations.
The formation of nonhierarchical interactions between the researcher and the researched and an awareness of the subjective nature of research are some unique methodological characteristics of feminist research. The political Women's Liberation Movement of the 1960s gave rise to contemporary feminism, which included efforts against the objectification of women as sexual objects for male consumption and violence against women. Feminist research originated as a sort of study in the 1960s, with debates about whether or not there is a feminist methodology.
Raymond Lee agrees that feminist scholars tend to share a dedication to certain methods of investigating women and their social situations. The formation of nonhierarchical interactions between the researcher and the researched and an awareness of the subjective nature of research are some unique methodological characteristics of feminist research. Much feminist research aims to explore women's experiences with power, dominance, and disadvantage in gender interactions. Much of the study explaining these difficulties center on women's private experiences. Specific authors writing on sensitive research call for adopting some feminist principles to improve sensitive research.
An analysis of qualitative research based on feminist principles reveals several particularly sensitive themes, such as rape, domestic abuse, eating disorders, and miscarriage. It is sometimes required to establish a relationship with persons we hope to investigate to conduct sensitive research. This can sometimes include the formation of a personal relationship. This research perspective is frequently stressed by feminist researchers who emphasize the importance of developing a specific form of relationship with study participants in sensitive research. This interaction, particularly human relationships, is essential in investigating delicate themes and must be acknowledged.
Sensitive research has an impact on a variety of stakeholders, in addition to participants. Researchers, transcribers, supervisors, and readers of publications are all potentially at risk when conducting sensitive research, and this risk could be psychological or physiological. Some of the common risks are −
The impact of a confidentiality violation is one of the most significant concerns in socially sensitive research. To preserve confidentiality, the researcher must take all reasonable precautions. This could entail preventing the sharing or disclosing sensitive information without the participant's agreement and utilizing pseudonyms or other safeguards to protect participants' identities. After the data are collected, no one, not even the researcher, will be able to identify a specific participant. Anonymity cannot always be achieved by removing names and other readily identifiable information; demographic data can occasionally be used to identify participants, particularly if the sample size is small. Anonymity is destroyed by any data or data patterns that can be used to identify a person specifically.
The researcher must take the following actions before, during, and after the intervention with the participant to reduce the risk of emotional discomfort brought on by the research itself −
To evaluate the content's emotional resonance
To gauge each participant's emotional condition
To address any emotional response that may occur
The following steps can be taken to assess and reduce emotional reactions −
Evaluating preliminary study materials
Prolonged listening
Encouraging conversation
A suggestion of counseling services (cooperation of counseling services must be obtained before approving the research).
The researcher may need the assistance of local law enforcement or a Federal Certificate of Confidentiality if the research focuses on illegal activity (for example, a study of HIV and risk factors among prostitutes). The researcher must ensure that no specific participants may be recognized if there is a chance of provoking retribution by others, such as violence by abusive partners. To reduce community risk, researchers and the community frequently agree on publication (e.g., whether to identify the community).
Informed consent is one of the most important ethical issues in socially sensitive research. Potential participants must be informed about the study's purpose, potential hazards, and advantages to make an informed decision about participating. This is crucial when working with disadvantaged populations since they could be more susceptible to coercion or unfair influence.
Researchers must ensure that their study complies with ethical standards and professional guidelines and that their methodology and results are open to review. This could entail getting institutional review board (IRB) approval or making sure any applicable ethical standards carry out the study. Researchers must think about how their findings could have social and political repercussions. Researchers must watch out that their work does not support prejudice or cause harm when doing socially sensitive research because it can greatly impact the people and communities involved.
The researcher may experience considerable emotional and professional effects from conducting socially sensitive research. Researchers conducting socially sensitive research may be exposed to painful or upsetting information because the field frequently deals with delicate and emotionally charged subjects. The emotional health of the researcher may suffer as a result, and burnout or compassion fatigue may set in. Researchers may also struggle with ethical anguish or moral dilemmas. For instance, they can encounter circumstances where they must put the demands of the study ahead of those of particular participants. Additionally, socially sensitive research may significantly affect the researcher's private life. Researchers might discover that their work consumes a lot of time and effort, which can stress their relationships and other obligations.
Self-care has been acknowledged as a crucial tactic to reduce the harm researchers could experience while conducting sensitive research. It is advised to use tactics like debriefing, counseling, planning rest periods throughout the project, and creating protocols prioritizing physical and mental safety. Without opportunities for debriefing, researchers may take their research narratives with them, which could harm their emotional health.
It is recommended that researchers give themselves enough time in between interviews to consider any potentially damaging data. They should also have several explicit guidelines on ending research relationships and methods for handling emotions if research participants pass away while the study is being conducted. For researchers to identify burnout and take proactive measures to address any symptoms, they require encouragement and support from their supervisors and the institution. Support can come from official research policies or tailored tactics created in collaboration with a research supervisor.
According to some critics, socially sensitive research may not fully reflect the experiences and viewpoints of marginalized or minority groups because these groups may not feel comfortable participating in the study or may be underrepresented in the research sample. Others contend that socially sensitive research might be skewed in the way it interprets the data, especially if the researchers have preconceived beliefs or hypotheses regarding the experiences and viewpoints of marginalized or minority groups.
Moreover, some others contend that socially sensitive research can maintain power disparities between researchers and participants, especially when researchers originate from privileged backgrounds and do not fully comprehend or value the participants' perspectives.
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