Vulnerability to Experiences of Sexual Harassment and Assault during Fieldwork

• In Event: Bias in Data Collection and Interpretation

Abstract

This study presents the findings from regression analysis and qualitative content analysis of data from a 2023 survey of APSA members experiences with sexual harassment and assault during fieldwork. Fieldwork consists of leaving one's home institution for data collection, and may involve archival research, elite interviews, direct or participant observation, or focus groups, and may occur locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. Initial findings from the survey indicated that experiences of sexual harassment and assault during fieldwork are prevalent, particularly among women, and that the discipline does not adequately prepare field researchers for the possibility of experiencing sexual violence while in the field. This mixed-method study seeks to identify the precise power arrangements and positionality that most put people at risk of experiencing sexual violence during fieldwork. Using the quantitative analysis of variables such as gender, race, religion, nationality, age, and career status, in addition to content analysis of responses to the survey’s open-ended questions, we seek to understand who is most at risk and how best to prepare and support field researchers navigating experiences of violence and questions of personal safety. Finally, we seek to understand the impact of experiencing sexual violence during fieldwork on researcher's career trajectories and personal health. These findings are essential to defining the problem, creating harassment-free workplaces, increasing diversity and equity in the profession, and generating transparent and replicable data from field research that has not been distorted by the violence inherent in sexual harassment and assault.

Authors

• Stacey Leigh Hunt, Auburn University

• Pëllumb Kelmendi, Auburn University

• Isaac Pollert, Penn State University

• Alexandra Filindra, University of Illinois at Chicago