Aiming at a moving target: methodological reflections on the study of politics of citizen-centric governance in post-earthquake Nepal
Disaster Prevention and Management
ISSN: 0965-3562
Article publication date: 7 December 2021
Issue publication date: 22 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The growing prominence of disaster research has also prompted vibrant discussions about the motivation and ethical conduct of disaster researchers. Yet, the individual researchers' aspirations and aims, together with the challenging and changing circumstances under which one undertakes disaster research have received relatively scant attention. Drawing on the author’s personal experience of becoming a disaster researcher under the unexpected humanitarian crisis following the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, this paper seeks to contribute to the debates surrounding the role of reflexivity and ethical sensitivity in doing disaster research under the climate of uncertainty.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on the author’s reflections and vignettes to highlight the author’s experience of becoming a disaster researcher, and my trajectory of navigating the complex terrain of fieldwork.
Findings
The paper underscores how the process of becoming a disaster researcher was closely intertwined with and shaped by my concerns and care for the disaster-affected communities. The paper argues that doing contextually relevant and ethically sensitive research is not a static target. It demands constant reflexivity and improvisation, in response to the unpredictable real-world conditions of disasters. Instead of aiming to tame such uncertainty, disaster researchers may benefit from appreciating and embracing uncertainty as a major facet of its epistemological distinctiveness.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the ongoing efforts in advancing methodological reflection and innovation in disaster research. In so doing, the paper is expected to aid early-career researchers who are often faced with ethical and practical dilemmas of doing fieldwork.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author is thankful to the London School of Economics for providing the PhD scholarship to conduct this study.
Citation
Dhungana, N. (2022), "Aiming at a moving target: methodological reflections on the study of politics of citizen-centric governance in post-earthquake Nepal", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-04-2021-0142
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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