Managing a Convincing Self-Presentation: Some Personal Reflections on Entering the Field

Shaffir, William

doi:10.4135/9781483325514.n6

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…Making contact with the subjects of my study was a long, slow process of establishing informal relationships and developing trust on a personal basis (see Zalcberg 2005). Since a researcher's credentials with respondents are shaped by contact in the course of fieldwork (Ayella 1993;Shaffir 1991), the way I presented myself was the product of a continuing, dynamic give and take between me and the respondents.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

'The Art of the Deal': Preferences in Spouse Selection among Parents in a Hasidic Community

Block¹

2013

Israel Studies Review

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This article examines the considerations that guide parents in an extreme Hasidic community with regard to mate selection for their children. Findings of the study indicate that an appreciable number of factors deal with personal aspects of a prospective match, such as age, external appearance, intellectual abilities, and genetic compatibility, while some concern the family of an intended match, for example, the family's financial status, lineage, and general history of health. Conspicuous by its absence is any consideration of the compatibility of the couple themselves. Gender differences are significant in relation to the importance of the different variables. The study findings reflect the prevalent attitude in ultra-Orthodox society that sees marriage for the most part as a contractual agreement between families, demonstrating that this is, in effect, a barter system between two parties-the families of the projected couple.The mate selection process is an intricate one, and it has earned much scholarly attention in the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, and gender studies. Many studies in the field focus on the subject of preferences in selecting a partner (Bokek-Cohen 2012; Bryan et al. these studies relate to at least one of two central theoretical approaches: evolutionary psychology and the theory of the marriage market. Evolutionary psychology posits that preferences in mate selection involve a process of natural and sexual selection that directs members of both genders to adopt strategies that '

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

'The Art of the Deal': Preferences in Spouse Selection among Parents in a Hasidic Community

Block¹

2013

Israel Studies Review

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“…The social skills and circumstances of the researcher, regardless, tend to override professional claims about our research and determine the particular fieldwork strategies employed. Shaffir (1990) observes that although many research participants are more than willing to talk about themselves, many are also (understandably) indifferent about taking part in research of little relevance to them. Gaining some level of acceptance is essential, requiring the researcher to present a particular image to be granted access and secure cooperation.…”

Section: Prologuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The present paper builds on observations by Shaffir (1990;1998; and literature on active interviewing to establish a more nuanced understanding of the benefits and challenges of being recognized as either an insider or outsider and the implications of attempting to be both. We draw on illustrations from the interviews conducted by the two coauthors for their doctoral research projects.…”

Section: Exploring the Continuum Of Tactical Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Interview Tactics Revisited: A Multigenerational Perspective

Hathaway¹,

Sommers²,

Mostaghim³

2020

QSR

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William (Billy) Shaffir taught about what it means to be a true empiricist, a sociologist committed to naturalistic observation as the most incisive method in our scientific toolbox. His inspiration still resonates, two decades later, in the work of new emerging scholars with the same commitment to ethnography—or what Billy more modestly and wisely calls “hanging around.” This paper is a tribute to his legacy that highlights the contributions of the next generation of graduate students that the lead author has been privileged to mentor at the University of Guelph. It builds on work by Hathaway and Atkinson on tactics of active interviewing to establish a more nuanced understanding of the benefits and challenges of being recognized as either an “insider” or “outsider,” and the implications of attempting to be both.

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“…In other words, self-reflectivity allowed me to mentally prepare for prospective burdens, tensions, disappointments, failures, and so doing, conjure up possible resolutions. Apart from keeping this tightly abreast my mind, all the way through the research process, I knew that it was crucial to engage informants, from the very beginning, amicably and develop rapport (Shaffir 1991). (Sword 1999;Dickson-Swift et al 2007 Goode and Maskovsky (2002) have argued that there is no such thing as too close in qualitative research.…”

Section: Establishing a Presencementioning

confidence: 99%

On Entering the Field: Notes from a Neophyte Researcher

Torelli

2019

QSR

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Qualitative field research can capture the life worlds and definitions of the situation of informants often not reported in quantitative studies. Post hoc reflections of how more seasoned researchers define, assess, and interpret the process of entering the field and the interview dynamic between the researcher’s subjectivity and the subjectivity of informants are widespread in the qualitative research literature. However, seldom are the personal stories and reflections of neophyte researchers voiced in published accounts. This article accounts for my experiences in researching the “dirty work” of frontline caseworkers and the importance of practicing empathy while managing a boundary. I emphasize the practical sense-making challenges of managing a delicate balance between under and over rapport in researching homeless shelter caseworkers as an occupational group. My experiences underscore the challenging dynamics of maintaining a professionally oriented research-role, as well as the crucial importance of boundary work and distancing as practical strategies to qualitative interviewing.

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Managing a Convincing Self-Presentation: Some Personal Reflections on Entering the Field

Cited by 26 publications

References 0 publications

'The Art of the Deal': Preferences in Spouse Selection among Parents in a Hasidic Community

'The Art of the Deal': Preferences in Spouse Selection among Parents in a Hasidic Community

Active Interview Tactics Revisited: A Multigenerational Perspective

On Entering the Field: Notes from a Neophyte Researcher

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