Race-of-Interviewer Effects: A Brief Comment

Although `racial matching' of interviewer and subject may often be appropriate, as a political strategy it risks marginalisation of black researchers and, as a methodological approach, its assumption of a single `truth' is open to challenge. These issues are explored through an examination of public and private accounts and their relationship to race-of-interviewer effects and a discussion of the author's experience of conducting interviews with prospective black foster parents. The final section explores the role of the white researcher.