Theorizing a ‘halfie’ researcher’s identity in transnational fieldwork

Abstract

The topic of how reflexivity ought to be utilized in the global aspect of research is yet to be fully theorized in educational research. Through the use of rigorous reflexivity, this paper examines a ‘halfie’ researcher’s negotiation of insider and outsider identities within his transnational home/field site of Nepal. By examining how identities are reconfigured within transnational spaces, the paper analyzes the intricacies of negotiating legitimacy and reciprocity with participants. Although the literature on reflexivity asks researchers to be ‘open’ about their identities, the author explores how one can be open yet also be complicit in the research process. The article proposes that (halfie) researchers be accountable for their contradictory identities in transnational sites and recognize the sociocultural contexts in which they do fieldwork.