Some ethical challenges of crosscultural research

1
Some ethical challenges of cross-cultural research

• Fiona Leach
• Sussex School of Education
• Sussex Institute Research Ethics Workshop
• 26 February 2009

2
Research context

• Experiences of research into the abuse of girls /
  gender violence in schools, age group 10-17
• Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, India, 1998-2005
• Interviews with girls and boys
• Focus group discussions
• Participatory workshops at start or end of the
  research process
• Also some reference to current ESRC-DFID project
  on widening participation in higher education

3
Issues around informed consent in different
cultural contexts

• Gaining access
• What information to give authorities and
  participants
• Obtaining and recording consent
• Ensuring participation is voluntary and
  withdrawal an option
• Ensuring confidentiality / anonymity
• Assessing / minimising the risk of harm

4
Gaining access is participation voluntary or
compulsory? Ghana
5
Gaining access India

• The researchers account
• Most often everyone feels comfortable if the
  higher ups have given permission in writing.
  Schools are under the purview of Block Education
  Officer. A letter from him/her would make the
  headmasters and teachers comfortable in answering
  the questions/ obliging the researchers.
• .. The institution cannot refuse higher ups
  instructions but yes they can act cranky and not
  oblige. Teachers can refuse to cooperate on any
  grounds no time, not well, ask somebody else
  etc.

6
What information to give authorities and
participants?

• Should everyone involved be given the same
  account of the research intentions?
• For my studies, only education officials and
  head teachers in Africa were told this was a
  study of abuse of girls others that we were
  investigating problems girls face in school
• In India, officials, teachers and pupils were
  all told we were studying girls problems
• Justification? Unexplored sensitive terrain,
  taboo topic, methodological considerations

7
Letter to Indian education authority

• I am working with a number of researchers on a
  study investigating problems of girls schooling
  in a number of countries. Dr Shashikala Sitaram
  has kindly agreed to carry out some research in
  India and I should be most grateful if you could
  facilitate this for her. The findings of the
  research will be used only for academic purposes.
•  
• Meeting the internationally agreed Millennium
  Development Goal on achieving gender equality in
  education by 2015 is very dependent on improving
  access and retention of girls in school in those
  countries which have not yet achieved Universal
  Primary Education. The Indian government is
  working strenuously to fulfil this commitment and
  this study can make a positive contribution in
  helping to meet the target.
•  

8
Obtaining and recording consent

• Different perceptions of written consent
• It indicates a contract, with payment expected
• It indicates a lack of trust by the researcher
• It creates a sense of compulsion
• d) Adults expect children to obey, so asking for
  their consent is not necessary
• e) Parents expect head teacher to have autonomy
  in school
• f) Where children are involved, it may encourage
  suspicion

9
Recording consent

• Consent
•   I agree to participate in a semi-structured
  interview as part of the project on Widening
  Participation in Ghana and Tanzania. I give my
  consent to the interview being taped and
  transcribed. I understand that anonymous
  transcripts will be archived in the UK.
•  
• If, for any reason, I decide that I no longer
  wish to be part of the project, and that I do not
  want information that I have shared to be used by
  the project, I shall inform the project
  researchers.
• Signed
• Name in print
• Date
•  
•  

10
Ensuring participation is voluntary

• Power imbalance, especially between adult
  researcher and children, may make it difficult
  for participants to refuse to take part, or to
  withdraw later also desire of children to give
  the right answer
• Consider alternative research instruments to one
  to one interviews group interviews, focus group
  discussions, PRA workshops, drama, diaries, video
  etc
• Consider how childrens participation is obtained
  (African pupils often distrust teachers) and
  location of data collection
• Zimbabwe progressive focusing (3 rounds of
  interviewing)
• Ghana, Malawi, India started with PRA fun
  workshops, created trust in researcher

11
Ensuring confidentiality / anonymity

• 2000 study for DFID on abuse of girls in
  Zimbabwe junior secondary schools
• Three schools were co-educational and one a
  single-sex school. ....
• School A is located near a small mining
  community of approx 10,000 inhabitants and
  about 20 kms from the nearest large town.
• School B is located on the outskirts of a small
  rural community of 6000. The school lies on a
  main road between two major towns.
• School C is located in a high density area on
  the outskirts of the regional capital. .. It
  operates a double shift system.
• School D is located in the centre of town and is
  an all-girls elite school.

12
Minimising the risk of harm
13
Sussex Institute research ethics standards,
guidelines and procedures - Annex 1

• Research involving children
• All principles outlined above apply in the case
  of children and young people too
• Children ... will need particularly careful
  consideration with respect to establishing and
  monitoring consent, the role of gatekeepers, the
  use and communication of findings and the
  potential disruption (emotionally or practically)
  caused by the research itself
• Informed consent from children and young people
  should be actively and directly sought using
  communication methods that maximise their
  understanding of the research
• Informed consent for research with children must
  also be obtained from those with parental
  responsibility for them in law, adhering to the
  same principles outlined above

14
Contd.

• Disclosure of information suggesting serious harm
  to the child or others should be addressed as
  indicated in the guidelines above on vulnerable
  people
• Participation in the research should be made as
  rewarding and enjoyable as possible
• Interviewing children should either be undertaken
  by two researchers or in areas where the
  researcher and child are not entirely alone to
  protect the researcher as well as the child
• Consider the gender of interviewers where
  appropriate, for example in research involving
  children who have been sexually abused
• Feedback on the findings should be given in ways
  that are meaningful to the participants

15
Save the Children So you want to involve young
children in research? (2004)

• Checklist - some key ethical considerations in
  research involving children
• Assess the risks of harm to participants through
  your research, and plan to minimise these
• Ensure that all participants give informed
  consent to their involvement
• Seek the informed consent of children, ensuring
  that children know that they can withdraw their
  consent at any point
• Be prepared to deal with any distress children
  may express during the research process
• Make arrangements for further ongoing support to
  individual children who need it
• Consider child protection issues in daily
  practice and in the
• recruitment of research staff
• Seek consent from parents and carers
• Seek the support of community organisations,
  people who are important in the lives of children
  locally

16
Contd.

• Ensure that information about the research is
  given in such a way that it is understandable and
  attractive to children, and includes information
  about their rights as respondents, and about how
  the data they provide will be handled
• Make practical arrangements to protect the
  confidentiality of respondents
• Discuss how you would handle situations where
  risk of serious harm to respondents is disclosed
• Make sure that your methods maximise the chances
  of girls and boys to participate fully
• Consider how to include the voices of children
  who face discrimination
• Consider whether there is a need to offer
  recompense to those helping you with your
  research, and what form this should best take
• Assess possible risks to the safety of research
  staff and take steps to prevent these
• Ensure that you properly consult with communities
  in planning your research, and contribute where
  possible to capacity building
• Give feedback to respondents' communities on the
  findings of the research, in an appropriate
  form.