2: Insiders and Outsiders in Research with Refugee and Migrant Women

This chapter presents the methodology that we employed in our research with the women's project and focuses on the value of insider research with marginalised groups. Refugees and migrants are often treated as ‘outsiders’ by society, and scholars have argued that gaining their trust in research is a sensitive process, particularly where they have experienced trauma and/or come from war-torn countries.

We begin with an outline of the research approach and methods before we present an overview of relevant literature on insider research, reflexivity and community-based participatory action research. Within this, we consider the power dynamics of involving insiders in research with marginalised groups. In our main discussion, we (Thompson and Nasimi) consider our positionalities as researchers on the project and the impact our levels of insider and outsider status had on the research. Through our discussion, we demonstrate how the nuances and fluidity between our statuses as insiders and outsiders were both helpful, and at times inhibiting, to the research.