Abstract
Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an ethnographic study in an IT department of a Nordic bank and draws on empirical material generated through a combination of data: shadowing, interviews, observations and documents. Excerpts from fieldnotes are included to invite the reader into “the scenes” played out in the field and are analyzed in order to illustrate the shaping of roles in situ.
Findings – The study finds that, independent of the researcher’s role as sponsored by the organization, the interactions with organizational members and context determine whether the researcher is assigned a role as insider or outsider, or even both within the same context.
Originality/value – The paper contributes with a new discussion of how the roles of insiders and outsiders are fluid by discussing the shaping of the roles in situ. By drawing on relational identity theories, the paper illustrates how interactions and context influence the researcher’s role, grounded in empirical examples. In addition, the paper discusses what the assigned roles enable and constrain for the ethnographer in that
particular situation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Organizational Ethnography |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 159-170 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISSN | 2046-6749 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Epub ahead of print. Published online.Keywords
- Social identity theory
- Outsider
- Fieldwork
- Roles
- Insider
- Sponsored research
Cite this
}
Insider or Outsider? Exploring the Fluidity of the Roles Through Social Identity Theory. / Bruskin, Signe.
In: Journal of Organizational Ethnography, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2018, p. 159-170.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Insider or Outsider?
T2 - Exploring the Fluidity of the Roles Through Social Identity Theory
AU - Bruskin, Signe
N1 - Epub ahead of print. Published online.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the fluidity of the fieldwork roles “insider” and “outsider.” The paper aims to move the discussion of insiders from an a priori categorized status and contribute to the literary insider–outsider debate by unfolding the micro process of how the role of an insider is shaped in situ. Grounded in empirical examples, the paper illustrates how the researcher’s role is shaped through interactions with organizational members and by context.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an ethnographic study in an IT department of a Nordic bank and draws on empirical material generated through a combination of data: shadowing, interviews, observations and documents. Excerpts from fieldnotes are included to invite the reader into “the scenes” played out in the field and are analyzed in order to illustrate the shaping of roles in situ.Findings – The study finds that, independent of the researcher’s role as sponsored by the organization, the interactions with organizational members and context determine whether the researcher is assigned a role as insider or outsider, or even both within the same context.Originality/value – The paper contributes with a new discussion of how the roles of insiders and outsiders are fluid by discussing the shaping of the roles in situ. By drawing on relational identity theories, the paper illustrates how interactions and context influence the researcher’s role, grounded in empirical examples. In addition, the paper discusses what the assigned roles enable and constrain for the ethnographer in thatparticular situation.
AB - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the fluidity of the fieldwork roles “insider” and “outsider.” The paper aims to move the discussion of insiders from an a priori categorized status and contribute to the literary insider–outsider debate by unfolding the micro process of how the role of an insider is shaped in situ. Grounded in empirical examples, the paper illustrates how the researcher’s role is shaped through interactions with organizational members and by context.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an ethnographic study in an IT department of a Nordic bank and draws on empirical material generated through a combination of data: shadowing, interviews, observations and documents. Excerpts from fieldnotes are included to invite the reader into “the scenes” played out in the field and are analyzed in order to illustrate the shaping of roles in situ.Findings – The study finds that, independent of the researcher’s role as sponsored by the organization, the interactions with organizational members and context determine whether the researcher is assigned a role as insider or outsider, or even both within the same context.Originality/value – The paper contributes with a new discussion of how the roles of insiders and outsiders are fluid by discussing the shaping of the roles in situ. By drawing on relational identity theories, the paper illustrates how interactions and context influence the researcher’s role, grounded in empirical examples. In addition, the paper discusses what the assigned roles enable and constrain for the ethnographer in thatparticular situation.
KW - Social identity theory
KW - Outsider
KW - Fieldworks
KW - Roles
KW - Indsider
KW - Sponsored research
KW - Social identity theory
KW - Outsider
KW - Fieldwork
KW - Roles
KW - Insider
KW - Sponsored research
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U2 - 10.1108/JOE-09-2017-0039
DO - 10.1108/JOE-09-2017-0039
M3 - Journal article
VL - 8
SP - 159
EP - 170
JO - Journal of Organizational Ethnography
JF - Journal of Organizational Ethnography
SN - 2046-6749
IS - 2
ER -