Ethical dilemmas in studying family consumption

Khanijou, Ratna and Pirani, Daniela ORCID: 0000-0002-1042-2608 (2021) Ethical dilemmas in studying family consumption. QUALITATIVE MARKET RESEARCH, 24 (1). pp. 32-46.

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Abstract

<jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to explore the types of ethical challenges and dilemmas researchers face when engaging in family consumption research.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title> <jats:p>Drawing from the concept of micro-ethics to bridge reflexivity with ethics in practice, the paper provides a reflexive account of the various ethical dilemmas encountered by two family consumption scholars during their fieldwork. Both researchers conducted qualitative research on family meals.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title> <jats:p>The paper reveals five types of ethical tensions that can arise when doing research on family consumption. These tensions are addressed as display, positioning, emotional, practical and consent dilemmas, all of which have ethical implications. The findings unpack these dilemmas, showing empirical and reflexive accounts of the researchers as they engage in ethics in practice. Solutions and practical strategies for dealing with these ethical tensions are provided.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title> <jats:p>Despite the growing interest in interpretive family research, there is less attention on the ethical and emotional challenges researchers face when entering the family consumption scape. As researching families involves entering an intimate area of participants’ lives, the field may be replete with tensions that may affect the researcher. This paper brings the concept of micro-ethics to family marketing literature, showing how researchers can do ethics in practice. The paper draws on reflexive accounts of two researchers’ personal experiences, showing their emotional, practical, positioning and display challenges. It also provides practical strategies for researchers to deal with dilemmas in the field.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Reflexivity, Ethics, Consumption, Family, Display, Dilemmas
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	29 Nov 2019 08:27
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2023 00:18
DOI:	10.1108/QMR-03-2019-0044
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3063907