Citation

Preiser C. Br. J. Community Justice 2016; 14(2): 61-74.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Sheffield Hallam University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Conducting research on nightclub bouncers involves fieldwork with actors who have limited interest in having the details of their work become visible to third parties. Conversely, it is the specific interest of ethnography to make the invisible visible. Thus, the research process is a constant negotiation of two potentially conflicting logics of (in)visibility. Furthermore, it is shaped by potential risks and the requirements of ethical codes. Focussing on the study of an inexperienced researcher 'entering the field', this article provides insights into the themes of 'risks' and '(in)visibility' and shows how the two were interconnected throughout the whole process of the project, from fieldwork through to writing and publishing. It also shows how the researcher became an overt, but discreet participant observer whose fieldnotes contained intended and unintended blanks. The article suggests that ethnographic data always stays incomplete as the researcher partakes in a balancing act regarding what is revealed and what remains hidden. Intentional blanks help to confirm the researcher's trustworthiness in the eyes of the research subjects, and so are vital in making such research possible in the first place.

Keywords
Bouncers; night-time economy; participant observations; fieldnotes; research ethics.

Language: en