Researching Diverse Populations

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to share some of the current literature, as well as my personal experiences, about researching diverse populations. In doing research, sometimes I was a member of the dominant social system and at other times, I was a member of the “diverse” group being researched. My aim is to help other researchers understand the value and become more sensitive about researching diverse populations. I address four broad issues: being a member of the researched group, choosing methods and strategies, involving diverse groups in the research, and how researching diverse groups might change the researcher. None of these issues has clear-cut and easy answers. In raising some questions, I hope that leisure researchers can continue a dialogue about how to avoid being exclusionary in research and in practice. I refer to a variety of groups considered diverse and assume possible applications from one group to another. I conclude that regardless of whether or not we personally conduct research about diversity, we can all be allies in helping to get diversity research into our literature to improve the quality of life for all individuals.

KEYWORDS:

• Diversity
• multiculturalism
• research
• methods
• self-reflection
• leisure
• culture
• social systems