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Ethical Complexities of Mobile Interviews with Young People

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Methodological Approaches

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 2))

Abstract

Recently, movement-inspired methods have become more popular among researchers examining the relationships between space, children, and young people. In particular, some have seen mobile interviewing as a suitable method to provide insights into participants’ everyday lives and involve them in the production of research material. While there is great potential in this method, the difficulties that come along with this are less discussed. This chapter suggests that doing interviews in movement involves ethical complexities that may not be evident in “sedentary” methods. In particular, the chapter discusses the difficulties that emerge in the research project when interviews are conducted in movement, by taking a look at (a) the dilemmas that movement brings, and (b) the problematic encounters that may take place during mobile interviews. It seems that when interviewing is mobile, the research setting is less controllable and ethical problems may develop. This chapter evaluates how movement influences the interaction and discusses how a researcher can deal with difficult situations. This chapter explores ethical problems and their possible solutions through four illustrations from research practice and a research diary.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, PO BOX 64, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Heli Ponto

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  1. Heli Ponto
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Correspondence to Heli Ponto .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Environmenta, The University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom

    Ruth Evans

  2. Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

    Louise Holt

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Ponto, H. (2015). Ethical Complexities of Mobile Interviews with Young People. In: Evans, R., Holt, L., Skelton, T. (eds) Methodological Approaches. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-89-7_2-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-89-7_2-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-4585-89-7

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