Elements of bureaucracy: personal reflections on “going with the process” in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

Qualitative research is not just the study of words and meaning: researchers should also provide a critical reflection on theoretical or practical problems in the research process. This practical note is a reflexive account of some the author’s personal experiences learning about bureaucratic process in Ethiopia. From opening a bank account as an “authentic” way to access money in 2007, to describing how to get a single document authenticated for a work permit ten years later, the author explores how bureaucratic encounters can become a meaningful and joyful way to interact with people met along the way.

KEYWORDS:

• Governance and public policy
• Methods
• Aid – Development policies
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ruth Jackson

Ruth Jackson is co-editor and contributor to Women Researching in Africa: The Impact of Gender. She holds a PhD in International Development Studies from Deakin University (Australia). Her early research interests were international development, maternal health and how the goal of reducing maternal mortality fits into Ethiopia’s development agenda. This led to her current research that focuses on the intersection between women who live near the montane rainforest in Kafa Zone, southwest Ethiopia and food production for one of the Ethiopian Orthodox feasts.