Social Science Research Ethics for a Globalizing World Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Research in the humanities and social sciences thrives on critical reflections that unfold with each research project, not only in terms of knowledge created, but in whether chosen methodologies served their purpose. Ethics forms the bulwark of any social science research methodology and it requires continuous engagement and reengagement for the greater advancement of knowledge. Each chapter in this book will draw from the empirical knowledge created through intensive fieldwork and provide an account of ethical questions faced by the contributors, placing them in the context of contemporary debates surrounding the theory and practice of ethics. The chapters have been thematically organized into five sections: Feminist Ethics: Cross-Cultural Reflections and Its Implications for Change; Researching Physical and Sexual Violence in Non-Academic Settings: A Need for Ethical Protocols; Human Agency, Reciprocity, Participation and Activism: Meanings for Social Science Research Ethics; Emotions, Conflict and Dangerous Fields: Issues of “Safety” and Reflective Research; and Social Science Education: Training in Ethics or “Ethical Training” and “Ethical Publicizing." This inter-disciplinary volume will interest students and researchers in academic and non-academic settings in core disciplines of Anthropology, Sociology, Law, Political Science, International Relations, Geography, or inter-disciplinary degrees in Development Studies, Health Studies, Public Health Policy, Social Policy, Health Policy, Psychology, Peace and Conflict studies, and Gender Studies. The book featuresa foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

1. Introduction I. Feminist Ethics: Cross-Cultural Reflections and Its Implications for Change 2. Gender and HIV/AIDS Policies in India: Critical Reflections on Feminist Research Ethics and "Making an Impact" 3. Outsider Research in Cross-Cultural Gender Project: Lessons from the Field 4. Researching Violence against Women in India: Everyday Challenges of Investigation and Cultural Values 5. Women, War and Silence: Insider’s View of Researching Gender Based Violence in Politically Fragile North East India II. Researching Physical and Sexual Violence in Not-Academic Settings: A Need for Ethical Protocols 6. The Challenges, Best Practices and Pitfalls of Research on Physical and Sexual Violence Conducted by Humanitarian Actors in Emergencies 7. Ethical Issues for Research Studies on Mistreatment, Sexual Abuse and Rape in Children in Perú III. Human Agency, Reciprocity Participation and Activism : Meanings for Social Science Research Ethics 8. Responsibility, Sensitivity and Reciprocity: The Practice of Ethical Research and Community Engagement with Vulnerable Groups 9. The Limits of Activism in Ethnographic Fieldwork: Research Ethics and the Predicament of Self-Censorship in Conflict Field Site 10. Transforming the Lens of Vulnerability: Human Agency as an Ethical Consideration in Refugee Research 11. Ethical Reflections in Qualitative Research on Father’s Absence: A South African Township Case-Study IV. Emotions, Conflict and Dangerous Fields: Issues of ‘Safety’ and Reflective Research 12. The Methodological Challenges of Researching Armed Actors in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo 13. Field Work and Safety in Social Science Research Ethics in China: A Comparative Gender Lens V. Social Science Education: Training in Ethics or "Ethical Training" 14. Vicarious and Secondary Trauma in Interviews on Father Identity and Connections 15. Seeking the True Meaning in Cross-Cultural Research: Addressing the Challenges in Translating and Transcribing in Higher Education Policies Conclusion

Keerty Nakray is Associate Professor at Jindal Global Law School in New Delhi India. Margaret Alston is Professor of Social Work and Head of Department at Monash University, Australia. Kerri Whittenbury is a Senior Research Fellow in the Gender, Leadership and Social Sustainability (GLASS) research unit at Monash University, Australia.