ETHICS IN AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CONTEXT OF PARTICIPANT DISTRUST AND SOCIALLY DESIRABLE RESPONSE PATTERNS

In this proceeding we reflect on some of the ethical challenges encountered while conducting ethnographic fieldwork on the subject of (perceived) “fracture lines” in multicultural society in Flanders/Belgium, among the “Muslim” population in two former mining cities in Flemish Limburg. The increasingly stern and “bureaucratic” scheme of ethical approval processes within academic instances has raised concerns in many fieldworkers. Social and behavioral scientists in particular have struggled with the question of consent forms, which remains both delicate and difficult to pursue, as it often inhibits the spontaneity of interactions that is so essential to fieldwork, and can even possibly jeopardise collaborations with people who do not want to disclose their personal information on paper under any circumstances. The key issue examined in this paper is the difficulty of pursuing data-quality on a politicised/sensitive research topic and/or among participants generally considered difficult to reach: how do we obtain sincere, honest fieldwork impressions and testimonies in a context of considerable distrust and perceived social desirability? What is good ethical practice here, and which foundations and/or procedures allow us to truly ensure it?status: Published onlin