Reflections from Cross-Gender Fieldwork Experiences in Open Markets in Ghana

Abstract

Fieldwork can be an enjoyable academic adventure producing lifelong experiences of excitement and a sense of academic accomplishment. However, it can be an equally frustrating undertaking, especially when carried out in ‘unfamiliar’ environments. This paper adds to the growing number of studies about fieldworkers’ experiences by reflecting on the complexities involved in the process and proffering ways to respond to them. We share our perspectives as three adult African males conducting research in a predominantly female space in two informal markets in Accra, Ghana. To do this, we engage with five issues related to fieldwork: preparing to enter the field; negotiating access; handling interviews; dealing with ethical dilemmas; and exiting the field. We found that being male is not a barrier to conducting research in a predominantly female space. The success of our fieldwork was a product of our ability to adapt, be creative, appreciate our inadequacies, learn quickly and also take some practical and common-sense steps. Our hope is that the insights shared in this paper will serve as a compass for prospective fieldworkers.

The Power of a Camera: Fieldwork Experiences From Using Participatory Photovoice

“…With the right participants, photovoice can produce innovative, valuable, and rich data that can explicitly illustrate participants’ everyday life. Thus, building rapport becomes critical to “create appropriate trust between a researcher and their participants” (Sowatey et al, 2021, p.4). The adoption of participant driven photovoice process facilitated better rapport between researchers and participants, which is especially beneficial when working with marginalized populations like street traders because it offers them an opportunity to literally and figuratively “show and tell” researchers about their lives (Harper, 2002).…”

Negotiating the insider–outsider dilemma in urban research: Experiences of a graduate student returning home for fieldwork

“…Despite their apparent ontological differences, I argue that these roles often overlap in practice. A researcher's positionality is not constrained by a fixed identity; rather, it evolves dynamically in response to the contextual realities encountered in the field (Sowatey et al., 2021; Sowatey & Tankebe, 2019). Therefore, framing positionality solely within the insider–outside dichotomy fails to capture the full spectrum of complexities and nuanced dynamics inherent in this phenomenon (Song & Parker, 1995).…”

“Exploring unchartered territories”: fieldwork experiences from researching street traders

“…As a “gatekeeper”, the ZCIEA territorial President for Harare played an important role in introducing the researcher to participants which helped in demystifying some of the myths that street traders had about the objectives of our study. This entry network is critical, and as Sowatey et al . (2021, p. 4) argue the “reputation of the gatekeeper who introduces a researcher may have an effect on how the researcher is perceived – at least initially”.…”

“…At the beginning of the fieldwork, the first author made numerous trips into the Harare CBD during which he established trusting relationships with potential participants. These reconnaissance trips (Sowatey et al ., 2021), were very effective in uncovering dynamics of street trading embedded in both seen and unseen socio-political relations which, as an “outsider”, the first author had not previously been mindful of. During these trips, the first author-maintained visibility in street traders' work environments, engaged in random conversations with them and listening attentively to their stories.…”