Labour pains: some considerations on the difficulties of researching juvenile prostitution
Abstract
This paper reflects on an empirical, retrospective study of juvenile prostitution. It aims to explore the ways in which the practical constraints, practical difficulties and ethical considerations that are inevitably encountered in a 'sensitive' area of research, such as young people who are exploited through prostitution, are intrinsically linked to choice of methods and the process of the research. It argues that in such research pragmatism in choice of methods is necessary to achieve the epistemological aims, of allowing the voices of disadvantaged young people who are exploited through their involvement in prostitution to be heard, while maintaining ethical integrity. In addition the paper reflects on the emotional impact of research such as this on researchers and suggests ways in which research design and the collaborative efforts of research teams may minimise potentially negative impacts on researchers. The author suggests that by anticipating problems posed by research into young people who are sexually exploited through prostitution, ethical and practical difficulties might be negotiated to enable research in this field to be taken forward in the future.Citation
Melrose, M. (2002). 'Labour pains: Some considerations on the difficulties of researching juvenile prostitution' International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 5(4):333Publisher
Taylor & Francis (Routledge)Additional Links
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13645570110045963Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
1364-55791464-5300
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/13645570110045963