Article published In:
Multilingualism and Mobility in the Twenty-First Century: New Trajectories and Possibilities in Migration LinguisticsEdited by Ariane Macalinga Borlongan and Lisa Lim
[AILA Review 37:1] 2024
► pp. 156–176
Edited by Ariane Macalinga Borlongan and Lisa Lim
[AILA Review 37:1] 2024
► pp. 156–176
Approach
Rethinking researcher-participant roles
Ethics of care and collaboration in the migration linguistics of precarious migrants
Recent studies on language and migration have attempted to address the social injustices stemming from global disparities in wealth and opportunities. However, there’s a risk of researchers unintentionally reinforcing traditional power dynamics, positioning themselves in power while reducing participants to mere data sources. Focusing on migrants in precarious living conditions, whose migration is often a consequence of political and economic upheaval in the origin, this paper interrogates the role of researchers and the researched with respect to social justice perspectives. We argue that conducting research on, for, and with such vulnerable migrant populations requires a reflexive understanding of our own positions and decisions throughout our engagement with participants. We propose that this approach is most effectively executed if we treat participants as equal partners in knowledge generation and social action, guided by principles of care, empathy, and unconventional methodologies. Through this, we hope to advocate for migration linguistics that is truly fair, just, and empowering among migrants.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Migrants in precarity: Who and why?
- 3.Understanding researcher roles and impact on the researched
- 3.1Positioning ourselves as researchers
- An objective recorder?
- The voice of the voiceless?
- An instrument of research
- 3.2Positioning study participants
- Immobile migrant vs. mobile expats?
- A ‘migrant’ only if in precarity?
- Victims needing extraordinary support?
- Agents capable of self-identification and determination
- 3.1Positioning ourselves as researchers
- 4.CARE for migrants in precarity: Some ethical (re)considerations
- Complete transparency
- Avoiding stigmatization or re-traumatization of participants
- Resolute commitment to privacy and confidentiality
- Embracing cultural and linguistic sensitivity
- 5.Conclusions: Treating participants as partners in knowledge generation & social action
- Notes
-
References
References (75)
Abu-Lughod, L.
(1990) The
Romance of Resistance: Tracing Transformations of Power through Bedouin Women. American
Ethnologist,
17
(1), 41–55. 
Aguilon, C. J., Guinto, N., & Aberion, L.
(2022) Discourse
Analysis. In A. Rosario & S. Wa-Mbaleka (Eds.), The
SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in the Asian
Context (pp. 219–233). London: Sage.
Alberti, G.
(2014) Mobility
strategies, “mobility differentials” and “transnational exit”: The experiences of precarious migrants in London’s hospitality
jobs. Work, Employment &
Society,
28
1, 865–881.
Alcoff, L.
(1991) The
Problem of Speaking for Others. Cultural
Critique, (20), 5–32.
Allan, K.
(2013) Skilling
the Self: The Communicability of Immigrants as Flexible
Labour. In A. Duchêne, M. G. Moyer, & C. Roberts (Eds.), Language,
migration and social inequalities a critical sociolinguistic perspective on institutions and
work (pp. 56–79). Bristol & Buffalo: Multilingual Matters.
Allison, A.
(2012) Ordinary
Refugees: Social Precarity and Soul in 21st Century Japan. Anthropological
Quarterly,
85
(2), 345–370.
Barrientos, S., Kothari, U., & Phillips, N.
(2013) Dynamics
of Unfree Labour in the Contemporary Global Economy. The Journal of Development
Studies,
49
(8), 1037–1041.
Bates-Eamer, N.
(2019) Border
and Migration Controls and Migrant Precarity in the Context of Climate Change. Social
Sciences, 8(7), 198.
Blommaert, J., & Jie, D.
(2020) Ethnographic
Fieldwork: A Beginner’s Guide. Multilingual Matters.
Borlongan, A. M.
(2019) Studies
on language and migration: Towards ‘migration linguistics’. Diliman
Review,
63
(1), 17–23.
(2022) Language
Issues of Migrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reimagining Migrant (Linguistic) Integration Programs in (Post-)Pandemic
Times. Journal of English and Applied
Linguistics,
1
(2).
Bourdieu, P.
(1996) Understanding. Theory,
Culture &
Society,
13
(2), 17–37.
Cameron, D., Frazer, E., Harvey, P., Rampton, B., & Richardson, K.
(1992) Researching
Language: Issues of Power and
Method. London: Routledge.
(1993a) Ethics,
advocacy and empowerment: Issues of method in researching language. Language &
Communication,
13
(2), 81–94.
(1993b) Reply
to comments. Language &
Communication,
13
(2), 141–145.
Capstick, T.
(2020) Language
and
Migration. London: Routledge.
Chacko, E., & Price, M.
(2021) (Un)settled
sojourners in cities: The scalar and temporal dimensions of migrant precarity. Journal of
Ethnic and Migration
Studies,
47
(20), 4597–4614.
Charity Hudley, A. H., & Flores, N.
(2022) Social
justice in applied linguistics: Not a conclusion, but a way forward. Annual Review of Applied
Linguistics,
42
1, 144–154. Cambridge Core.
Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Kline, P., & Saez, E.
(2018) Economic
Mobility. In D. B. Grusky & J. Hill (Eds.), Inequality
in the 21st Century (1st
ed., pp. 209–214). Routledge.
Constable, N.
(2007) Maid
to order in Hong Kong: Stories of Filipina workers (2nd ed.). Ithaca, USA: Cornell University Press.
Coupland, N.
(2016) 20
Five Ms for sociolinguistic change. In N. Coupland (Ed.), Sociolinguistics:
Theoretical
Debates (pp. 433–454).
Cresswell, T.
(2006) On
the Move: Mobility in the Modern Western World. New York & London: Routledge.
D’Agostino, M.
(2022) Multilingual
Young African Migrants: Between Mobility and Immobility. In A. De Fina & G. Mazzaferro (Eds.), Exploring
(Im)mobilities: Language Practices, Discourses and
Imaginaries (pp. 17–37). Multilingual Matters.
Duchêne, A., Moyer, M. G., & Roberts, C.
(2013) Introduction:
Recasting Institutions and Work in Multilingual and Transnational
Spaces. In A. Duchêne, M. G. Moyer, & C. Roberts (Eds.), Language,
migration and social inequalities a critical sociolinguistic perspective on institutions and
work (pp. 1–21). Bristol; Buffalo: Multilingual Matters.
Eckert, P.
(1989) Jocks
and Burnout: Social Categories and Identity in the High School. New York & London: Teacher’s College Press.
Ekmekci, P. E., & Arda, B.
(2017) Interculturalism
and Informed Consent: Respecting Cultural Differences without Breaching Human Rights. Cultura
(Iasi,
Romania),
14
(2), 159–172.
Elliot, A., & Urry, J.
(2010) Mobile
Lives. London & New York: Routledge.
Gawlewicz, A.
(2016) Language
and translation strategies in researching migrant experience of difference from the position of migrant
researcher. Qualitative
Research,
16
(1), 27–42.
Gilligan, C.
(1982) In
a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Cambridge, Massachusettes: Harvard University Press.
Gogia, N.
(2006) Unpacking
Corporeal Mobilities: The Global Voyages of Labour and Leisure. Environment and Planning A:
Economy and
Space,
38
(2), 359–375.
Grain, K. M. L.
(2016) The
Social Justice Turn: Cultivating “Critical Hope” in an Age of Despair. Michigan Journal of
Community Service Learning,
23
(1).
Guinto, N.
(2023) Lived
Experiences of Unequal Englishes of Filipino Domestic Workers in Hong Kong. International
Journal for Research in
Education,
47
(2), 12–52.
Hammersley, M.
(2010) Creeping
Ethical Regulation and the Strangling of Research. Sociological Research
Online,
15
(4), 123–125.
Hannam, K., Sheller, M., & Urry, J.
(2006) Editorial:
Mobilities, Immobilities and
Moorings. Mobilities,
1
(1), 1–22.
Heath, S. B., & Street, B. V.
(2008) On
ethnography: Approaches to language and literacy research. New York: Teachers College Press: NCRLL/National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy.
Heller, M., Pietikäinen, S., & Pujolar, J.
(2018) Critical
Sociolinguistic Research Methods: Studying Language Issues that Matter. New York & London: Routledge. Retrieved
from
Hui, A.
(2016) The
Boundaries of Interdisciplinary Fields: Temporalities Shaping the Past and Future of Dialogue between Migration and Mobilities
Research. Mobilities,
11
(1), 66–82.
Hymes, D. H.
(1996) Ethnography,
linguistics, narrative inequality: Toward an understanding of voice. London: London : Taylor & Francis.
Ingold, T.
(2014) That’s
enough about ethnography! HAU: Journal of Ethnographic
Theory,
4
(1), 383–395.
International Organization for
Migration
(2023) Key Migration
Terms. Retrieved September 18,
2023, from International Organization for Migration website: [URL]
Keyton, J.
(2011) Communication
research: Asking questions, finding answers (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Kubota, R.
(2022) Linking
Research to transforming the real world: Critical language studies for the next 20
years. Critical Inquiry in Language
Studies. (world). Retrieved from [URL]
Kulick, D.
(2015) The
Problem of Speaking for Others Redux: Insistence on Disclosure and the Ethics of
Engagement. Knowledge
Cultures,
3
(6), 14–33.
Ladegaard, H. J.
(2024) Migrant
Workers’ Narratives of Return: Alienation and Identity
Transformations. London: Routledge.
Ladegaard, H. J., & Phipps, A.
(2020) Intercultural
research and social activism. Language and Intercultural
Communication,
20
(2), 67–80.
Lanza, E.
(2008) Selecting
Individuals, Groups, and Sites. In W. Li & M. G. Moyer (Eds.), The
Blackwell Guide to Research Methods in Bilingualism and
Multilingualism (pp. 73–87). MA, USA: Blackwell.
Machin, H. E., & Shardlow, S. M.
(2018) Overcoming
ethical barriers to research. Research
Ethics,
14
(3), 1–9.
Miike, Y.
(2019) Intercultural
communication ethics: An Asiacentric perspective. The Journal of International
Communication,
25
(2), 159–192.
Mintz, S.
Munck, R.
(2013) The
Precariat: A view from the South. Third World
Quarterly,
34
(5), 747–762.
Nowicka, M.
(2018) Cultural
Precarity: Migrants’ Positionalities in the Light of Current Anti-immigrant Populism in
Europe. Journal of Intercultural
Studies,
39
(5), 527–542.
Paret, M., & Gleeson, S.
(2016) Precarity
and agency through a migration lens. Citizenship
Studies,
20
(3–4), 277–294.
Parreñas, R. S.
(2015) Servants
of Globalization: Migration and Domestic Work (2nd ed.). Stanford University Press. Retrieved from [URL].
Pennycook, A.
(2021) Critical
Applied Linguistics: A Critical Re-Introduction (2nd ed.). New York & Oxon: Routledge.
Phipps, A.
(2013a) Intercultural
ethics: Questions of methods in language and intercultural communication. Language and
Intercultural
Communication,
13
(1), 10–26.
(2013b) Linguistic
Incompetence: Giving an account of researching multilingually. International Journal of Applied
Linguistics,
23
(3), 329–341.
Piller, I.
(2020) Language
and Social Justice. In J. Stanlaw (Ed.), The
International Encyclopedia of Linguistic
Anthropology (pp. 1–7). John Wiley & Sons.
Piper, N.
(2022) Temporary
labour migration in Asia: The transnationality-precarity nexus. International
Migration,
60
(4), 38–47.
Rafael, V.
(1997) “Your
Grief Is Our Gossip”: Overseas Filipinos and Other Spectral Presences. Public
Culture,
9
(2), 267–291.
Rampton, B., Maybin, J., & Roberts, C.
(2015) Theory
and Method in Linguistic Ethnography. In J. Snell, S. Shaw, & F. Copland (Eds.), Linguistic
ethnography: Interdisciplinary
explorations (pp. 14–50). Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Rawls, J.
(2001) Justice
as fairness: A restatement. Massachusetts & London: Harvard University Press.
Romocea, O.
(2014) Ethics
and Emotions: A Migrant Researcher Doing Research among Romanian Migrants. Sociological
Research
Online,
19
(4), 176–189.
Scandone, B.
(2022) ‘I
Don’t Want to Completely Lose Myself’: Social Mobility as Movement Across Classed, Ethnicised, and Gendered
Spaces. Sociological Research
Online,
27
(1), 172–188.
Schmenk, B., Breidbach, S., & Küster, L.
(Eds.) (2018) Sloganization
in Language Education Discourse. Multilingual Matters.
Sheller, M., & Urry, J.
(2006) The
new mobilities paradigm. Environmental Planning
A,
38
1, 207–226.
Slote, M.
(2007) The
Ethics of Care and Empathy. London & New York: Routledge.
Standing, G.
(2011) The
Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. London: Bloomsbury Academic..
Tolich, M., & Anito Jr., J.
(2022) Asian
Qualitative Research Ethics: Lessons for the West. In A. Rosario & S. Wa-Mbaleka (Eds.), The
SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in the Asian
Context (pp. 51–63). London & New York: SAGE Publications.
Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W.
(2014) R-Words:
Refusing Research. In D. Paris & M. T. Winn (Eds.), Humanizing
Research: Decolonizing Qualitative Inquiry with Youth and
Communities (pp. 223–247). London: SAGE Publications.
Tupas, R. F.
(2015) Unequal
Englishes: The politics of Englishes today. Houndmills, Basingstokes, Hampshire New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Tyner, J. A.
(2004) Made
in the Philippines: Gendered discourses and the making of migrants. London and New York: RoutledgeCurzon.
UNESCO, (United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization
. Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights – Legal Affairs., 33
C/Resolutions + CORR. + CORR.2 + CORR.3 + CORR.4 +
CORR.5 § (2005).
Urry, J.
(2000) Sociology
beyond Societies: Mobilities for the Twenty-first Century. London & New York: Routledge.
Wyss, A., & Dahinden, J.
(2022) Disentangling
entangled mobilities: Reflections on forms of knowledge production within migration
studies. Comparative Migration
Studies,
10
(1), 33.