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Accepted Paper:
Contextual Ethics: When the Everyday Becomes the Sensitive
Angela Mazzetti
(Newcastle University)
In this paper I explore the ethical challenges of conducting research in the transitional context of postconflict Northern Ireland as I reflect on how even mundane discussions with participants can trespass into sensitive and traumatic territory.
Paper long abstract:
Living under the adverse conditions of protracted war, conflict and violence have an imprinting effect on society members, leaving deep psychic and social scars. These scars continue to have impact during the transitional phases from conflict to peace as legacy issues remain unresolved, continuing to be triggered by traces of conflict. Conducting research in such settings can be challenging as even mundane discussions can trespass into sensitive territory when society is in a state of socio-political flux. Yet, preparing for research in such fragile contexts is not the mainstay of research methods training. In this paper, I reflect on the ethical and emotional challenges I encountered during my research in postconflict Northern Ireland. I believe that such discussions are necessary to ensure that researchers do not eschew research in such contexts in favour of other less sensitive research. It is therefore anticipated that this paper will be of interest to those who are currently conducting research in such contexts and those who are planning to conduct research in transitional settings.