Field research in conflict environments: Methodological challenges and snowball sampling
Field research in conflict environments: Methodological challenges and snowball sampling
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DOI：
10.1177/0022343311405698
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发表时间：
2011-07-01
影响因子：
3.6
通讯作者：
Arieli, Tamar
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cohen, Nissim;Arieli, Tamar
鉴于冲突环境的复杂性和普遍的不信任和猜疑态度，在冲突环境中进行研究是一项挑战。然而，冲突和方法论通常被作为单独的利益领域进行分析。没有系统地分析冲突环境中实地工作的方法论问题。本文论述了在冲突环境中进行研究的主要方法问题。我们建议使用滚雪球抽样方法(以下简称SSM)来应对这些挑战。这一方法的有效性在各种情况下都被认为是显著的，主要是对边缘化人口而言。我们声称，在冲突环境中，整个人口在某种程度上被边缘化，这使得外部研究人员很难接触到他们，也隐藏了他们。这种边缘化解释了为什么很难找到、接触和争取研究人员的合作，而在非冲突的情况下，这并不难做到。SSM直接解决了冲突环境中常见的恐惧和不信任，并通过可信的社交网络介绍增加了信任研究人员的可能性。我们展示了如何谨慎地使用SSM作为一种“第二好”但仍然有价值的方法来帮助促进合作。因此，评价SSM及其在冲突环境中实施的优势和局限性可以对研究人员的方法论培训作出重要贡献。除了在冲突条件下的有效性外，在某些情况下，SSM实际上可能会造成在受限条件下进行的研究与根本不进行的研究之间的差异。结合我们在实地的经验，我们为在冲突环境中优化使用SSM提供了一些见解和建议。
Conducting research in conflict environments is a challenge, given their complexity and common attitudes of distrust and suspicion. Yet, conflict and methodology are usually analyzed as separate fields of interest. Methodological aspects of field work in conflict environments have not been systematically analyzed. This article addresses the central methodological problems of research conducted in conflict environments. We suggest the use of the snowball sampling method (hereafter, SSM) as an answer to these challenges. The effectiveness of this method has been recognized as significant in a variety of cases, mainly regarding marginalized populations. We claim that in conflict environments, the entire population is marginalized to some degree, making it 'hidden' from and 'hard to reach' for the outsider researcher. The marginalization explains why it is difficult to locate, access and enlist the cooperation of the research populations, which in a non-conflict context would not have been difficult to do. SSM directly addresses the fears and mistrust common to the conflict environment and increases the likelihood of trusting the researcher by introduction through a trusted social network. We demonstrate how careful use of SSM as a 'second best' but still valuable methodology can help generate cooperation. Therefore, the evaluation of SSM, its advantages and limitations in implementation in conflict environments can be an important contribution to the methodological training of researchers. In addition to its effectiveness under conditions of conflict, SSM may, in some cases, actually make the difference between research conducted under constrained conditions and research not conducted at all. Together with our experiences in the field, we supply several insights and recommendations for optimizing the use of SSM in a conflict environment.