Inside the Circle but Still an Outsider: The Insider/Outsider Debate in Restorative Justice Research

• In Event: Qualitative Innovations: From Theory to Practice

Abstract

The complexities of conducting research are multi-layered, with new challenges emerging at each step of the process. One challenge facing social science researchers, especially those using qualitative methods, is justifying the personal motivation for conducting their research. In this effort, researchers often identify themselves as an “insider” or “outsider” of their research space. While literature addressing the “insider/outsider debate” exists and stretches across a vast array of research areas, there is a dearth related to restorative justice. A search of the restorative justice literature identified only two indirect references to the “insider/outsider debate,” Haneem (2011) and Presser & Van Voorhis (2002). As the restorative justice research and literature continues to increase, it is imperative that scholars discuss their research experiences, challenges and realities. This paper discusses the need to study restorative justice research from the perspective of an objective, interested third party and questions the role I play as a researcher of restorative justice and the ways in which these roles impact my research experience.

Author

• Brandi Vigil, University of Illinois at Chicago