“Hanging out” with judicial and legal elites: Reflections on researching “up”
Abstract
- Abstract
- en The challenges of researching “up” are widely acknowledged. Moreover, these hurdles are intensified for law and courts field investigators where the profession’s cherished virtues – protocol, hierarchy and decorum – hamper access to interviewees and could potentially be detrimental to rapport building for the researcher unfamiliar with courtroom formality. This paper draws on the author’s field experience to highlight the potential of the informal dimension of fieldwork – “hanging out” – in traversing some of the limits of researching legal and judicial elites. It teases out the complexities of studying judges as political actors and the peculiar circumstances of studying legal elites in close-knit circles. Through “hanging out” at relevant court events, strategically positioning oneself in social events and informally building rapport, the author gained access to spaces usually closed off to outsiders. By “hanging out” with judges, the author challenged her perceptions of absolute judicial fidelity to the law, interrogated their professed devotion to apoliticism and the experience humanised judges and helped her deal with her own discomfort with interviewing judges. The paper concludes by weighing the promises and limits of the informal approach to researching legal and judicial elites, pondering ethical considerations, the researcher’s positionality and the boundaries of continuous residence.
- fr Les difficultés liées à la recherche "vers le haut" sont largement reconnues. En outre, ces obstacles sont d'autant plus importants pour les enquêteurs de terrain dans le domaine du droit et des tribunaux, où les vertus chères à la profession - protocole, hiérarchie et décorum - entravent l'accès aux personnes interrogées et peuvent potentiellement nuire à l'établissement de rapports pour le chercheur qui n'est pas habitué à la formalité des salles d'audience. Cet article s'appuie sur l'expérience de terrain de l'auteur pour souligner le potentiel de la dimension informelle du travail sur le terrain - "traîner" - pour franchir certaines des limites de la recherche sur les élites juridiques et judiciaires. Il met en évidence les complexités de l'étude des juges en tant qu'acteurs politiques et les circonstances particulières de l'étude des élites juridiques dans des cercles très fermés. En "traîner" lors des événements judiciaires pertinents, en se positionnant stratégiquement dans les événements sociaux et en établissant des relations informelles, l'auteur a eu accès à des espaces habituellement fermés aux étrangers. En “traînant" avec les juges, l'auteur a remis en question sa perception de la fidélité absolue des juges à la loi, s'est interrogé sur leur dévotion avouée à l'apolitisme et l'expérience a humanisé les juges et l'a aidée à faire face à son propre malaise face aux entretiens avec les juges. L'article conclut en évaluant les promesses et les limites de l'approche informelle de la recherche sur les élites juridiques et judiciaires, en réfléchissant aux considérations éthiques, à la position du chercheur et aux limites de la résidence continue.
Subjects
People & roles
- Authors
- Kisakye, Diana
- Place of publication
- Bayreuth
Origins & context
- Title
- “Hanging out” with judicial and legal elites: Reflections on researching “up”
- Publication type
- Working paper
- Language
- English
- Funded by
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Publisher
- Institute of African Studies
- Series
-
BIGSASworks!
Value Annotations
Value Annotations
- volume
- 11
- Date
- 2023
- Number in series
- 40
- pages
- VII, 23
- Number of pages
- 23
Identifiers & sources
Full text
- Full text
- 40 University of Bayreuth African Studies WORKING PAPERS “Hanging out” with judicial and legal elites Reflections on researching “up” Diana Kisakye, 2023 works! 11 University of Bayreuth African Studies Working Papers (XL) 40 University of Bayreuth African Studies WORKING PAPERS “Hanging out” with judicial and legal elites Reflections on researching “up” CC-BY 4.0 Diana Kisakye, 2023 “Hanging out” with judicial and legal elite ii University of Bayreuth African Studies Working Papers (XL) Institute of African Studies (IAS) The University of Bayreuth African Studies Working Papers are published by the Institute of African Studies (IAS) in Bayreuth, Germany. The IAS promotes African Studies at the University of Bayreuth by supporting scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines from almost all faculties. It facilitates cooperation between researchers and institutions engaged in Africa-related projects, as well as teaching, both on campus and around the world. The IAS consists of three central bodies: the Iwalewahaus, the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, and the Africa Research Center (Forschungszentrum Afrika), which is currently under construction. The Working Papers give scholars the space to present empirical studies, theoretical reflections, and report preliminary findings, ongoing projects, and current research. The Working Papers usually reflect works-in-progress and invite discussion and feedback. Submitted papers are subject to internal review at the University of Bayreuth. Contributions may be submitted to the editor-in-chief: Dr. Jane Ayeko-Kümmeth (IAS@uni-bayreuth.de) The University of Bayreuth African Studies Working Papers feature on the EPub document server at the university library: 2005 - 2018 https://epub.uni-bayreuth.de/view/series/Bayreuth_African_Studies_Working_Papers.html 2018 -… Read the full text about 10,869 words
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