Trusting relationships: a key for cross-cultural engagement

Abstract

Research that is conducted across divergent contexts and communities presents challenges. This paper explores the importance of building trusting relationships between researchers and participants to overcome some of these challenges. Using a postmodern perspective it describes practices that merged to form a comprehensive strategy for working across cultures. The subject matter for this paper was derived from qualitative research that investigated the repatriation experiences of Saudi Arabian female postgraduate students. Throughout this paper it is argued that long-term, in-depth, trusting relationships between researchers and participants assist in the establishment of common ground that transcends cultural differences while demonstrating respect for individuals' stories.

Keywords:

• cultural identity
• culture
• qualitative research
• relationships
• trust