Strategies for Gaining Access to Robbers: The Importance of Identity, Rapport, and Commitment Acts

Arthur Vasquez; Alejandro Rodriguez

doi:10.29333/ajqr/12573

Arthur Vasquez ¹ ^* , Alejandro Rodriguez ²

More Detail

AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 168-188

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12573

OPEN ACCESS 1288 Views 687 Downloads

Download Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

Researching hard-to-reach populations that are criminally active is difficult. Gaining access to these populations is essential to the success of the project, however, strategies to obtain access can involve navigating through complex and dangerous situations. Prior research has identified a range of factors that can influence the ability of researchers to gain access to offenders. Qualitative projects that encompass obtaining information from individuals mandate researchers to consider from whom they need to gain information, and how to appeal to the individuals. This relationship building is facilitated by strategies of gaining access that aid not only the recruitment of participants but also increase the quality of interactions and data collection. In this paper, we examine the importance of identity, rapport, and commitment acts in relationship building to gain access to active offenders in fieldwork. This contribution offers examples in which researchers can negotiate the difficulties in gaining access.

Keywords: Qualitative, gaining access, identity, rapport, commitment acts.

References

Agar, M. (1980/1996). The professional stranger: An informal introduction to ethnography (2nd ed.). Academic Press.
Berg, B. L. (2004). Qualitative research methods for social sciences: An introduction to theories and methods. (5th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Berk, R. A., & Adams, J. M. (1970). Establishing rapport with deviant groups. Social Problems, 18(1), 102-117. https://doi.org/10.2307/799884
Biernancki, P., & Waldof, D. (1981). Snowball sampling: Problems and techniques of chain referral sampling. Sociological Methods & Research, 10(2), 141-163. https://doi.org/10.1177/004912418101000205
Blix, S. B., & Wettergren, A. (2015). The emotional labour of gaining and maintaining access to the field. Qualitative Research, 15(6), 688-704. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794114561348
Bogdan, R. C., & Biklen, S. K. (2003). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theories and methods. (4th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Brannick, T., & Coghlan, D. (2007). In defense of being “native”: The case for insider academic research. Organizational Research Methods, 10(1), 59-74. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428106289253
Brink, P. J., & Edgecombe, N. (2003). What is becoming of ethnography? Qualitative Health Research, 13(7), 1028-1030. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732303253542
Brown, C., McCullough, A & de Monthoux, P. G. (1977). The access-casebook: Social scientist account for how to get data for field research. Teknisk Hogskoletteratur i Stockholm AB.
Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Burgess, R. G. (1991). Sponsors, gatekeepers, members, and friends: Access in educational settings. In W. B. Shaffir & R. A. Stebbins (Eds.), Experiencing fieldwork: An inside view of qualitative research (pp. 43-52). SAGE Publications.
Burmeister, E., & Aitken, L. M. (2012). Sample size: How many is enough? Australian Critical Care, 25(4), 271-274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2012.07.002
Chambliss, W. (1975). On the paucity of research on organized crime: A reply to Galliher and cain. American Sociologist, 10(1), 36-39. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27702159
Children’s Health. (2019). Beyond ABC: Growing up in Dallas county: Assessing our children’s quality of life. Medical Center and the Coalition for North Texas Children. https://www.childrens.com/keeping-families-healthy/dfw-childrens-health-assessment
Clark, T. (2010). Gaining access and maintaining access: Exploring the mechanisms that support and challenge the relationship between gatekeepers and researchers. Qualitative Social Work, 10(4), 485-502. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325009358228
Corra, M., & Willer, D. (2002). The gatekeeper. Sociological Theory, 20(2), 180-207. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9558.00158
Crenshaw, K. W. (1991). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of anti-discrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. In K. T. Bartlett & R. Kennedy. (Eds.), Feminist legal theory: Readings in law and gender (pp. 57-80). Westview.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches. SAGE Publications.
Crowley, J. E. (2007). Friend or foe? Self-expression, stigmatized groups, and the researcher-participant relationship. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 36(6), 603-630. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241606293603
Cunliffe, A. L., & Alcadipani, R. (2016). The politics of access in fieldwork: Immersion, backstage dramas, and deception. Organizational Research Methods, 19(4), 535-561. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428116639134
Czarniawska, B. (1998). A narrative approach to organization studies. SAGE Publications.
Daniel-Echols, M. (2003). How I got them to talk to me: The importance of persistence, personality, and identity. In M. Feldman, J. Bell, & M. Berger. (Eds.), Gaining access: A practical and theoretical guide for qualitative research. (pp. 106-110). Altamira Press.
De Laine, M. (2000). Fieldwork, participation and practice: Ethics and dilemmas in qualitative research. SAGE Publications.
Decker, S. H. & van Winkle, B. (1996). Life in the gang: Family, friends, and violence. Cambridge University Press.
Dempsey, L., Dowling, M., Larkin, P., & Murphy, K. (2016). Sensitive interviewing in qualitative research. Research in Nursing & Health, 39(6), 480-490. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21743
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2003). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. SAGE Publications.
DeShay, R. A., Vasquez, A. G., & Vieraitis, L. M. (2020). “You gotta have a plan so you won’t get caught”: Managing the risks of street tagging. Deviant Behavior, 42(9), 1112-11129. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2020.1722339
DiIuIio, J. (1987). Governing prisons: A comparative study of correctional management. Free Press.
Dovick, M. (2013). Personal communication, August 31, 2013. Gang Intelligence Unit, School District.
Doykos, B., Brinkley-Rubinstein, L., Craven, K., McCormack, M., & Geller, J. (2014). Leveraging identity, gaining access: Explorations of self in diverse field-based research setting. Journal of Community Practice, 22(1-2), 130-149. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2014.901265
Feldman, M., Bell, J., & Berger, M. (Eds.). (2003). Gaining access: A practical and theoretical guide for qualitative researchers. Altamira Press.
Fenno, R. (1978). Homestyle: House members and their districts. Little Brown.
Fusch, P. I. & Ness, L. R. (2015). Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 20(9), 1408-1416. http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR20/9fusch1.pdf
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Aldine.
Glesne, C. (1999). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. (2nd ed). Longman.
Glesne, C., & Peshkin, A. (1992). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. Longman.
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903
Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (1995). Ethnography: Principles in practice. Routledge.
Hargadon, A. B., & Bechky, B. A. (2006). When collections of creatives become creative collections: A field study of problem solving at work. Organization Science, 17(4), 484-500. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1060.0200
Harrington, B. (2003). The social psychology of access in ethnographic research. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 32(5), 592-625. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241603255677
Hochstetler, A. (2001). Opportunities and decisions: Interactional dynamics in robbery and burglary groups. Criminology, 39(3), 737-764. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2001.tb00939.x
Huot, S. (2014). Ethnography: Understanding occupation through an examination of culture. In S. Naylor & M. Stanley (Eds.), Qualitative research methodologies for occupational science and therapy (pp. 100-116). Routledge.
Irwin, J. D. (1972). Participant observation of criminals. In J. J. Douglas (Eds), Research on deviance (pp. 117-137). Random House.
Johnson, J. M. (1975). Doing field research. Free Press.
Kennedy-Macfoy, M. (2013). ‘It’s important for the students to meet someone like you.’ How perceptions of the researcher can affect gaining access, building rapport and securing cooperation in school-based research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 16(6), 491-502. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2013.823294
Kleinman, S. (1980). Learning the ropes as fieldwork analysis. In W. Shaffer, R. A Stebbins, & A. Turowets (Eds.), Fieldwork experience: Qualitative approaches to social research. (pp. 171-183). St. Martin’s.
Louvrier, J. (2018). Negotiating, gaining, and maintaining access: What can we learn about diversity? In Handbook of Research Methods in Diversity Management, Equality, and Inclusion at Work. (pp. 85-102). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783476084.00012
Lumsden, K. (2009). ‘Don’t ask a woman to do another woman’s job’: Gendered interactions and the emotional ethnographer. Sociology, 43(3), 497-513. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038509103205
MacLean, T., Anteby, M., Hudson, B., & Rudolph, J. W. (2006). Talking tainted topics: Insights and ideas on researching socially disapproved organizational behavior. Journal of Management Inquiry, 15(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492605280223
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2006). Designing qualitative research (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Maxwell, J. A. (1996). Qualitative research design: An interactive research approach. SAGE Publications.
McNaughton, N. C., Mills, L., Kotecha, M. (2014). Observation. In J. R., J. Lewis, & C. M. Nicholls (Eds.), Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers (2nd ed., pp. 243-265). SAGE Publications.
Michel, A. (2014). The mutual constitution of persons and organizations: An ontological perspective on organizational change. Organization Science, 25(4), 1082-1110. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2013.0887
Okumus, F., Altinay, L., & Roper, A. (2007). Gaining access for research: Reflections from experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 34(1), 7-26.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Polsky, N. (1967). Hustlers, beats, and others. Pelican.
Reeves, C. L. (2010). A difficult negotiation: Fieldwork relations with gatekeepers. Qualitative Research, 10(3), 315-331. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794109360150
Rossman, G. B., & Rallis, S. F. (2003). Learning in the field: An introduction to qualitative research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Scourfield, P. (2012). Defenders against threats or enablers of opportunities: The screening role played by gatekeepers in researching older people in care homes. Qualitative Report, 17(28), 1-17. http://www.nova.edu/sss/QR/QR17/scourfield.pdf
Shaffir, W. B., & Stebbins, R. A. (1991). Experiencing fieldwork: An inside view of qualitative research. SAGE Publications.
Shaffir, W. B., Stebbins, & Turowetz, A. (1980). Fieldwork experience: Qualitative approaches to social research. St. Martin’s Press.
Sixsmith, L., Boneham, M., & Goldring, J. E. (2003). Accessing the community: Gaining insider perspectives from the outside. Qualitative Health Research, 13(4), 578-589.
Spradley, J. (1980). Participant observation. Holt, Reinhart, and Winston.
Spradley, J. T. (1979). The ethnographic interview. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Stoller, P. (1989). The taste of ethnographic things: The senses of anthropology. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Taylor, S. J. & Bogdan, R. (1998). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley.
Tracy, S. J. (2013). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. Wiley-Blackwell.
Tsuda, T. (1998). Ethnicity and the anthropologist: Negotiating identities in the field. Anthropological Quarterly, 71(3), 878-890. https://doi.org/10.2307/3318081
U.S. Census Bureau (2013). County: State and county quick facts. http://www.census.gov/quickfacts.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2017). Office of the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation: Poverty research. https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-research
Van den Brink, M., & Benschop, Y. (2014). Gender in academic networking: The role of gatekeepers in professional recruitment. Journal of Management Studies, 51(3), 460-492. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12060
Van Maanen, J. (1998). Tales of the field. University of Chicago Press.
Vasquez, A. G., & Vieraitis, L. M. (2016). “It’s just paint”: Street taggers’ use of neutralization techniques. Deviant Behavior, 37(10), 1179-1195. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2016.1169830
Vasquez, A. G., Rodriguez, A., Suh, J., & Martinez-Cosio, M. (2020). Appointment robbery: Do crime prevention through environmental design strategies work? Voices from the street. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 4(1), 17-38. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/8203
Wanat, C. L. (2008). Getting past the gatekeepers: Differences between access and cooperation in public school research. Field Methods, 20(2), 191-208. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X07313811
Watters, J., & Biernacki, P. (1989). Targeted sampling. Options for the study of hidden populations. Social Problems, 36, 416-430. https://doi.org/10.2307/800824
Wax, R. (1971). Doing fieldwork: Warnings and advice. University of Chicago.
Wright, R. T., Decker, S. H., Redfern, A. K., & Smith, D. L. (1992). A snowball’s chance in hell: Doing fieldwork with active residential burglars. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 29(2), 148-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/002242789202900200

Citation

Vasquez, A., & Rodriguez, A. (2022). Strategies for Gaining Access to Robbers: The Importance of Identity, Rapport, and Commitment Acts. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 6(3), 168-188. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12573

Vasquez, A., and Rodriguez, A. (2022). Strategies for Gaining Access to Robbers: The Importance of Identity, Rapport, and Commitment Acts. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 6(3), pp. 168-188. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12573

Vasquez A, Rodriguez A. Strategies for Gaining Access to Robbers: The Importance of Identity, Rapport, and Commitment Acts. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2022;6(3), 168-188. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12573

Vasquez, Arthur, and Alejandro Rodriguez. "Strategies for Gaining Access to Robbers: The Importance of Identity, Rapport, and Commitment Acts". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2022 6 no. 3 (2022): 168-188. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12573

Vasquez, Arthur et al. "Strategies for Gaining Access to Robbers: The Importance of Identity, Rapport, and Commitment Acts". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 6, no. 3, 2022, pp. 168-188. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12573

Vasquez A, Rodriguez A. Strategies for Gaining Access to Robbers: The Importance of Identity, Rapport, and Commitment Acts. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2022;6(3):168-88. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12573