Researching in Politically Sensitive Areas
Episode Description
In this episode of Talking About Methods, Professor Linda Mulcahy talks to Professor Kieran McEvoy about researching in politically sensitive areas, specifically research on conflict and the transition from violence. Kieran talks about his experiences of doing semi-structured interviews with combatants and ex-combatants, victims, civil society activists and lawyers with different political positions. While highlighting the importance of talking to people you don’t agree with, he also tells us why we should not abandon your own safety just to get more “balanced” interview samples. He tells us how he shifted from having a war correspondence attitude to a more reflective researcher role, the influence pragmatic activism had on his work and the importance of acknowledging the emotional toll of researching conflict and violence.
Readings recommended by the Speaker
Parker, T. (1970) The Frying-Pan: A Prison and Its Prisoners. New York: Basic Books.
Lee, R.M. (1994) Dangerous fieldwork. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Nelken, D. (2010) Comparative criminal justice: Making sense of difference. London: SAGE Publications.
Work by the Speaker:
McEvoy, K. (2011) ‘What did the lawyers do during the “war”? Neutrality, conflict and the culture of quietism’, Modern Law Review, 74 (2), pp. 350–384.
About the Speaker
Kieran McEvoy
Kieran McEvoy is Chair of Peace, Security and Justice and Professor of Law and Transitional Justice at the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, Queen’s University Belfast. As a former prisoners’ rights worker and a long-standing human rights and peace activist, his international research focuses on political violence, victims, ex-combatants and dealing with the past.