Theory Ain't Practice: Four Novice Researchers Navigate Dilemmas of Representation Within Immigrant Populations

Abstract

This article illuminates instances in which four graduate students have struggled with issues of representation—of themselves and of immigrant participants—at their research sites and in their writing. These dilemmas are situated within the literature on the politics of representation in qualitative research. Although these dilemmas are not unique to novice researchers, how graduate students experience and work through the ethical grey spaces of ethnographic research is impacted by their status as emerging researchers—that is, as ethnographers transitioning from research in theory (idealism) to research in practice (reality). Although this paper does not offer hard and fast solutions to these dilemmas, it points to ways in which novice researchers may benefit from mentors when participating in reflexive communities.

Notes

¹ This paper grew out of our conference presentation, “Navigating Ethical Dilemmas of Educational Research With Immigrant Populations as Novice Researchers: Sharing Graduate Students’ Experiences” at The Ethics and Politics of Research with Immigrant Populations, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, June 4–5, 2010. The presentation invited participation from audience members. The personal communications included here capture the contributions of Dr. Awad Ibrahim (University of Ottawa) and Dr. Nancy Hornberger (University of Pennsylvania). Ibrahim, in particular, contributed the ideas of idealism and reality.