Examining Etic and Emic Approaches to Research Partnerships with Caribbean Local Government

• In Event: Advancing CASE SIG as a Hub for Collaborative Partnerships With African and Caribbean Governments

Abstract

Many of us conduct research within a cross-cultural context, even though we are from the Caribbean region originally. The Caribbean is not a monolith, with each Caribbean country having its own cultural heritage and nuances with regards to how things are done. This presentation will examine the ways in which I have gone about viewing, expressing, and producing knowledge in collaboration with local government. I do this by drawing upon my research within Eastern Caribbean countries where I have examined inclusive leadership across primary and secondary schools within multiple Caribbean countries. I examine consciousness of the view of the insider (emic) and the perspective of the outsider (etic), recognizing that these perspectives, which may be vastly different, contribute important aspects to research (Yanto and Pandin, 2023). I demonstrate how understanding my positionality plays a critical role in how I go about conducting research, as awareness of positionality brings a fuller interpretation to research realities.

Some researchers are of the view that outsiders can distort or misrepresent local knowledge. Alternatively, other researchers emphasize the importance of the etic perspective in establishing the full understanding of the researched phenomena. I am originally from the Caribbean, have lived the past thirty years mostly within the United States, and have conducted cross-cultural research within multiple Caribbean countries. Given my background, this paper raise questions such as, can outsiders truly understand and appropriately interpret local knowledge; can outsiders accurately communicate research findings to internal and external audiences; who represents an insider versus an outsider; to what extent can natives who left their communities for decades be considered insiders; and what criteria establishes a researcher as etic versus emic?

Researchers argue that the creation of knowledge results from the interactions between emic and etic processes (Naaeke et al, 2010). Etic perspectives tend to emphasize similarities between cultures, while emic processes focus on the difference between cultures. Researchers who have returned to their native Caribbean region need to be clear about their position as an emic or etic researcher. Clarity is important because it shapes the mechanisms we put in place to create authentic and accurate research. The researcher must consider how he/she is viewed by locals and how locals’ view of them as an outsider or insider will impact the gathering of research data and other research processes.

Researchers have long established protocols to ensure data accuracy, and this also applies to cross-cultural research. Researchers, whether employing etic or emic approaches, should ensure that the approach used remains consistent throughout all phases of the research (Darling, 2016). For example, if emic approach is the methodological design for the inquiry, then cultural insiders should be recruited during the design phase and they should play a pivotal role in other phases of the research. This study reinforces the importance of putting procedures in place to ensure that the interpretation of local knowledge is appropriately validated by insiders while applying a critical lens that provides room for outsider perspectives.

Author

• Kenneth A. Williams, SIT Graduate Institute