Relationships

"For indigenous and other marginalised communities, research ethics is at a very basic level about establishing, maintaining and nurturing reciprocal and respectful relationships, not just among people as individuals but also with people as individuals, as collectives, and as members of communities and with humans who live in and with other entities in the environment." [1]

For Maori, the notion of relationships is a core value. The way that Maori interact with each other and the world around them is all based on the notion of inter-connectedness and the nurturing of reciprocal relationships.

Research is laden with relationships.

Nancy King [2] (2004) outlines four major research relationship types:

  • The researcher-subject relationship The relationship between researchers and their sponsors or institutions
  • The relationship between the researcher and the communities from which their potential participants will be drawn; and
  • The relationship between individual subjects and their communities

Each of these relationships are different in terms of duration, responsibility, power and ethical considerations. Because of the different types of relationships that the researcher has to negotiate, it is important that you consider how you maintain and nurture these different relationships, while not compromising your research.

A big consideration for Maori researchers is their role as an 'insider' or an 'outsider' of the community they intend to research. Whether you are a member of the community under research will dictate how participants relate to you, what they will disclose, how they will engage, where they will engage, and their level of comfort in participating. Whether you are an 'insider'or an 'outsider' will also impact on your own perceptions of what is happening, and on the analysis of the data being retrieved. Each of these positions has its merits and pitfalls, the most important thing is that you consider these issues, and the ethical implications of such.

Another consideration for researchers is how relationships will change/maintain after the research procedures have ended.

  • Will you have an on-going relationships with participants?
  • Is it right or 'tika' to do so?
  • If it is right, then what responsibilities do you have to the community, the participants and the research?

These questions become particularly tricky when considering that whanaungatanga relates to the nurturing of 'reciprocal' relationships, i.e. there is a sharing of knowledge, or a sharing of stories, rather than the taking of knowledge and taking of stories.

In the nurturing of reciprocal relationships, there is a sense that you must give back to the communities and participants involved in the research. 'How you give back and 'what' you give back therefore, are also matters for consideration.

Ultimately, all of these issues need to be considered and discussed in your methodology.

 

[1] Linda Smith, 2006, p. 97 "On Tricky Ground" in The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research,

[2] Nancy King, 2004 "Relationships in Research: Human Reality, Ethical Challenge" in Tikanga Rangahau Matauranga Tuku Iho, Traditional Knowledge and Research Ethics Conference 2004.