Revisiting the un/ethical
The Complex Ethics of Elite Studies Research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2404083 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Karen Lillie (0000-0002-7468-2572, Institute of Education, University College London, UK, corresponding author), Pere Ayling (0000-0002-9878-0126, University of Suffolk) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 890-905 |
| Publication date | 2021-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Qualitative Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1468-7941 • E-ISSN: 1741-3109 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1468794120965361 |
| OpenAlex | W3093037562 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 24 |
| References cited | 31 |
Current ethical codes inadequately speak to the complexities of researching elite groups. These groups contribute to broader inequalities and yet are protected from scrutiny by their own resources and, in the research context, ethical guidelines. For this reason, Gaztambide-Fernández (2015) called for those researching elite groups to adopt an 'un/ethical' position. This position circumvents conventional ethical codes to disrupt the power of research participants. In this paper, we put forward a considered assessment of this position. We reflect on and theorise our own experiences in the field from this ethical perspective, paying particular attention to our multifaceted insider/outsider statuses. We find that an un/ethical position offers short-term benefits but also does long-term damage to the elite studies scholar community. Thus, we counter-propose a way forward that dismantles power relations while avoiding the drawbacks of the un/ethical approach. Our proposal continues a necessary discussion around the ethics of elite studies research
Elite · Ethical code · Position (finance · Research ethics · Scrutiny · Political Conflict and Governance · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics · Social Science and Policy Research
Beyond the Methodological Fix
Studying Up From an In‐Between Position
In the Company of Elites
Arab Region Social Protection Systems
Methodological Challenges in Studying Wealthy Families
Ethical challenges in qualitative sociology
The issue of ’vulnerability’ in researching political elites
Ethical Processes and Dilemmas during Research with Youth on Cyber-Risk
Researcher reflexivity in studying elite schooling
The proliferation of international schools
Multi-sited understandings
A designed ‘lack of design’
I am F. B.”
Us and them
Mobile and Elite
Family feelings
Religious Conservatism versus Elite Professionalism
A 'Self-Made' Billionaire? Gender and the Myth of Meritocratic Wealth
From a national elite to the global elite
Creating elite encounters
Geographies of wealth
Hierarchy and inequality in research
A Home Away from Home
Practices of Consumption
“Surely You're Not in This Just to Be Helpful”
Privilege
The Best of the Best
Researching Education from the Inside
The scholar, the wealthy and the powerful
Doing research with police elites in Ghana
Confidentiality, anonymity and power relations in elite interviewing
To perceive and to be perceived
Researching elite education
Canvassing conversations
Elite entanglements and the demand for a radically un/ethical position
Too good at fitting in
Reflections on interviewing foreign elites
Validity and Reliability Issues In Elite Interviewing
Methodological Approaches for Interviewing Elites
Elites in the City of London
Structure and Agency and the Sticky Problem of Culture
Is that what I Said?' Interview Transcript Approval by Participants
The emotional labour of gaining and maintaining access to the field
Strategies for conducting elite interviews
Researching the Powerful
Interviewing Elites
Repositioning Documents in Social Research
The Sociology of Elites
| Unique citing works | 24 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4,8 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 23 |