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Researching Amongst Elites: Challenges and Opportunities in Studying Up

For ethnographers, Luis Aguiar and Christopher Schneider’s Researching Amongst Elites can provide much needed insight into interviewing participants who may be difficult to find and talk to. Using case studies by authors from a variety of fields, the authors help provide concrete examples of talking to elites. In many of the chapters, the authors of the individual chapters reflect on their own experiences as ethnographers and their difficulties of operating in a context where the power balance may not be in favor of the researcher. The chapters in the book particularly reflect the experience of the interviews and the dynamics of the interviews. From the field of international relations, Carolyn Gallaher provides helpful advice for ethnographers who may encounter defensiveness among subjects and how to break the ice with these participants. Shaun Ryan and John Lewer, who study elites in business, give detailed information on gaining access to elites and strategies for getting the most out of an interview where an individual may be unwilling to talk honestly. Michael Borer discusses his research interviewing celebrities and how to get beyond the usual sound bites given to reporters. For researchers in media studies, Schneider’s detailed notes on how to analyze the media coverage of events may be helpful. The ninth chapter by Karl Froschauer and Lloyd Wong provides specific advice on interviewing entrepreneurs, which could be generalized easily for interviewing other business elites. For feminist sociologists, Shelley Pacholok’s chapter on interviewing elite men provides thoughtful reading. She discusses her difficulties in balancing her feminist identity with her research on male firefighters. She provides interesting commentary on interviewing subjects who make comments that a researcher may find offensive. She also discusses the complicated power dynamics of the interviews. Patricia Tomic and Ricardo Trumper write about their research in a hostile environment. In their research, subjects publicly voiced their hostility to and skepticism of the research done by the researchers. Despite this major hurdle, the authors walk the reader through the amazing process of securing interviews and interviewing these individuals. Ethnographers have much to gain from reading this book. Those who study areas where conducting interviews is difficult will want to read this book. Similarly, sociologists interested in entering work environments as part of their research will find this book helpful for getting more out of their interviews.