The risk of ‘going observationalist’: negotiating the hidden dilemmas of being an insider participant observer

Based on a review of the literature and the author’s own experiences, this article develops a framework for understanding the hidden dilemmas of being an insider participant observer. A common assumption made about participant observation is that being an insider offers a distinct advantage in terms of accessing and understanding the culture. However, these advantages are not absolute and the insider must be aware of ethical and methodological dilemmas associated with entering the field, positioning and disclosure, shared relationships and disengagement. The article discusses these dilemmas and identifies issues that need more careful evaluation and analysis within the field of qualitative inquiry. The assumption that insiderness provides the researcher with greater access and deeper understanding is often true, but the degree of achieved insiderness is related to a number of critical factors that are determined by the circumstances of the moment.