“You Know What I Mean:” The Ethical and Methodological Dilemmas and Challenges for Black Researchers Interviewing Black Families

Abstract

In this article I provide a reflexive account of my research experiences with families of African descent. I examine the ways in which, as a researcher of African descent, I became part of the research process. Using data from an ethnographic study that explored the healthy lifestyle experiences and attitudes of families and adolescents of African descent in the northwest of England, I present a detailed discussion of the identity alteration, researcher—researched relationships, and insider—outsider tensions and dilemmas that arose while I collected data. I argue that researchers working with participants with whom they share similar ethnicity and historical experiences are likely to find that their professional self and personal life experiences overlap, and there can be difficulties in keeping them separate.