Sexually harassed by gatekeepers: reflections on fieldwork in Surinam and Turkey

This research note focuses on the intersection of gender, sexuality, and age relations with gatekeepers by concentrating on explicit and implicit forms of sexual harassment and intimidation by male gatekeepers toward the author, a female researcher. Comparing fieldwork experiences in radically different cultural settings (Turkey and Surinam) shows that the general dynamics are strikingly similar: being (seen as) powerless can be both a bane and a boon in getting access in the field and information through gatekeepers.