Conducting criminological fieldwork in China: A comprehensive review and reflection on power relations in the field

Abstract

Practical and personal challenges inevitably arise during fieldwork, and identifying these complications is a fundamental part of the research process. Through a comprehensive review of 61 articles and books on criminological fieldwork in China, we discuss in detail five methodological challenges (namely, political sensitivity, cultural challenges, gaining access, insider vs outsider status and ethical issues). Strategies for coping with these challenges are summarised, while, drawing explicitly on the experiences of the authors, we further delineate the importance of employing the power relations model. This model has been largely neglected in the literature to date, yet the influence of power relations can be shown to permeate fieldwork experiences. Directions for future research are also outlined, taking into consideration China’s increasingly conservative political landscape.