Qualitative Researchers as Betweeners: Transcending the Insider/Outsider Dichotomy in Search of Spaces of Equality

A growing concern on the design of culturally grounded qualitative research studies seems to be featured in recent literature more prominently. The significant contributions of decolonizing methodologies, critical, indigenous, feminist and queer research have raised importance to the visibility of the social locations of researchers and participants that informs the study. The presenters will share their experiences collaborating as a qualitative research trainee—a white woman from Wisconsin—and instructor, a woman of color from Colombia—in designing a culturally grounded dissertation about the identity of international Middle Eastern students, training in the helping professions in the U.S. Their experiences involve discussions on transcending the insider/outsider dichotomy in search for intersecting spaces of a shared humanity as betweener (Diversi & Moreira, 2008) co-researchers