Paper short abstract:

This presentation explores the following emergent aspect of my doctoral research: the ethical complexities and uncertainties - for both researcher and participants - when conducting ethnographic research with vulnerable people.

Paper long abstract:

Through my doctoral research I have been ethnographically exploring how government policy is interpreted and incorporated into social care support for adults with learning disabilities in the UK. In this I have been particularly interested in looking at policies focused on empowering people with civil and economic rights and responsibilities over their lives. Influenced by liberal values, which position individuals as autonomous, self-sufficient agents, I am interested in exploring how this 'sits' in relation to the fact that people with learning disabilities have cognitive impairments and so are, in varying ways, reliant on others for support with aspects of their lives.

In my fieldwork and beyond, I have experienced significant challenges - as a researcher and on a personal level - in attempting to come to terms with and make sense of the difficulties surrounding conducting ethnography - a deeply immersive form of research that requires physical and emotional proximity to participants - with highly vulnerable individuals who often experience significant levels of loneliness and social isolation. Here, I am interested in exploring 1) whether in hindsight I can ethically justify using this approach with the people with learning disabilities with whom I worked, who possibly formed strong attachments to me as a person, and 2) whether the emotional impact and ethical uncertainties I experienced at being faced head-on with the intense vulnerabilities of participants should or should not be included within my doctoral thesis, as part of the processes of methodological enquiry, even the findings themselves.