Navigating Ethics and Positionality in Community Research: Reflections from Fieldwork with Migrant Communities

This presentation compiles the reflections from fieldwork and theoretical study of the methodology, ethical considerations and findings of the author’s ongoing doctoral project, examining the interconnections of housing, migration and informality. The fieldwork is conducted using ethnographic qualitative methods of in-depth interviews and passive observation, with Pakistani Migrants and Refugees in North Italy, who may be perceived as vulnerable groups.

The study investigates the integration and inclusion experiences of migrants, focusing on their housing access and entanglements with arrival infrastructures over their migration and settlement trajectory. The presentation emphasizes the complexities of applying ethical protocols in qualitative research, highlighting the subjective nature of data collection and analysis. This calls for the researcher to engage in interpretation, observation and reflective inquiry. The author explains the importance of social constructivist and interpretative frameworks as a guiding methodology for this project, and the chosen approach of on-ground community research to inquire into lived experiences.

The author argues that while research ethics provide essential frameworks and guidelines for making informed decisions throughout various research stages, including design, analysis, storage, and dissemination, they can also be restrictive and insensitive to innovative and nuanced studies. In this context, positionality and ethics are critical for the author in understanding their relationship with the migrant community which they observe in a foreign land, but share a homeland and mother tongue with.

The discussion emphasizes the importance of researchers conducting participatory and community-engaged research to be knowledgeable about the community’s social and spatial dynamics, fostering sensitivity and respect. The author advocates for greater inclusion of qualitative research perspectives in ethical committee deliberations, aiming for more context-sensitive guidelines. In conclusion, the reflections highlight the responsibility of researchers to represent knowledge and narratives without prejudices, respecting the socio-cultural practices and spatial logics of the communities involved.