A critical self-reflexive account of a privileged researcher in a complicated setting: Kakuma refugee camp

Abstract

As a white, Western-educated man, undertaking research in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, I encountered ethical dilemmas related to my privileged racial and gender status. These include power imbalances between researchers and refugees and conducting research in the face of human suffering. Through critical self-reflexivity, I analyze my own experiences to reveal the personal and professional vulnerabilities that researchers from high-income countries (HICs) may encounter when working in contexts where oppression and forced displacement are prominent. I conclude that researchers who work in contexts of forced migration must extend beyond the boundaries of procedural research ethics and include components of relational ethics. This involves close collaboration with refugee participants to develop more culturally relevant research ethics guidelines for refugee-specific populations.

To Whom Does the Knowledge Belong? The Researcher-Researched Relationship and Vulnerability in Refugee Studies

“…The methodology employed in this article draws inspiration from similar work conducted in the Kakuma camp in Kenya (Bilotta 2021). It is based on a participatory research approach and ethical reflexivity, with both authors of this article acting as coauthors: (1) an external researcher (the first author) and (2) a local expert from the Nakivale camp community -having been involved in several research projects.…”