Researching Violence in Africa: Ethical and Methodological Challenges (Africa-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies, 6)

Researching violence and conflict can be challenging for a variety of reasons, including security risks to researchers and informants, restricted or lack of access to informants and field sites, and poor reliability of official data. Traditional methodological approaches may need to be adapted, and new methods may be called for. In addition, such research carries ethical challenges about representation of informants and information and possible use of the research for harmful ends. This book, drawing on research conducted throughout Africa in conflict zones and other insecure environments, considers the everyday dilemmas researchers face. It provides essential contributions to ongoing challenging debates about the use of alternative and mixed methods in social science research. Navigating The Terrain Of Methods And Ethics In Conflict Research / Johan J.p. Pottier, Laura Hammond And Christopher M. Cramer -- Researching Conflict In Africa : A Researcher's Account Of Ife-modakeke -- South-western Nigeria / Olajide O. Akanji -- Researching Children And Violence In Evolving Socio-political Contexts / Giorgia Dona -- Layers Of Silence : Counterinsurgency In Northeastern Ethiopia / Laura Hammond -- Uncertain Ethics : Researching Civil War In Sudan / Sharon E. Hutchinson -- From Nation To Family : Researching Gender And Sexuality / Danai Mupotsa -- Cooperative Ethics As A New Model For Cultural Research On Peace And Security / Derek B. Miller And Ron Scollon -- Hidden Agendas In Conflict Research : Informants' Interests And Research -- Objectivity In The Niger Delta / Ukoha Ukiwo -- Silence And Authoritative Speech In Post-violence Northern Ghana / Martijn Wienia. Edited By Christopher Cramer, Laura Hammond And Johan Pottier. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Navigating the Terrain of Methods and Ethics in Conflict Research......Page 10 Researching Conflict in Africa: A Researcher’s Account of Ife-Modakeke, South-Western Nigeria......Page 32 Researching Children and Violence in Evolving Socio-Political Contexts......Page 48 Four Layers of Silence: Counterinsurgency in Northeastern Ethiopia......Page 70 Uncertain Ethics: Researching Civil War in Sudan......Page 88 ‘From Nation to Family’: Researching Gender and Sexuality......Page 104 Cooperative Ethics as a New Model for Cultural Research on Peace and Security......Page 120 Hidden Agendas in Conflict Research: Informants’ Interests and Research Objectivity in the Niger Delta......Page 146 Silence and Authoritative Speech in Post-Violence Northern Ghana......Page 164 List of Contributors......Page 184 Index......Page 188 This book examines the ethical and methodological issues that researchers working in conflict and other insecure environments regularly face. Based on in-depth research carried throughout Africa, the contributors discuss how they adapt to working in volatile and often dangerous fieldsites.