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Monash University Korean Studies Research Hub presents:
Monash Korean Studies Seminar Series 2024 - Seminar #3:
Speaker: Dr. Shu Zhu (Curtin University)
Date & Time: 16th May, 2pm AEST
Venue: Room G02, Learning & Teaching Building (LTB), Clayton VIC 3168 & Zoom
Register here: https://forms.gle/MkT9YWg1R7fnXfFV7
Abstract:
This presentation reflects on the insights gained from conducting fieldwork with older people during the COVID-19 pandemic. It covers various challenges, including limitations in physical access and potential technological barriers, alongside innovative strategies employed to maintain research continuity while prioritising participant safety and well-being. In my project, the participants aged 60 to 89 faced technology difficulties during interviews, leading to the development of a workaround allowing in-person interviews while ensuring research integrity and adhering to government hygiene protocols. Ethical considerations related to researching older adults are also discussed in this talk. This includes attentiveness to participant fatigue, careful language use to avoid embarrassment or distress, and managing off-topic narratives respectfully. The talk also explores how the researcher's positionality influences findings. Numerous sociological studies have examined the researcher's positionality as an insider or outsider in qualitative research; I was also aware that my interview experiences were influenced by the different contextual factors shaped by my characteristics. For the Chinese participants, I am both an insider since I come from the same cultural background as they, and an outsider since I am a young researcher who is not in their age group. For Korean participants, my interview experiences were also influenced by my outsider status as a young Chinese and my insider status as a migrant living in Perth. The fluidity of the researcher’s status has led me to develop several methodological reflections.
Bio:
Shu Zhu recently received her PhD from the School of Human Sciences at the University of Western Australia. Her research focuses on the intricate intersection of ageing, ethnicity, gender, and migration studies. During her doctoral studies, she delved into how older Chinese and Korean migrants perceive and navigate their ageing bodies amidst varied bodily practices. Through an embodied approach, her thesis sheds light on the migrant ageing body as a bio social realm where various power dynamics intersect.
Presently, Shu serves as the centre manager at the Korean Research & Engagement Centre of Western Australia at Curtin University, where she continues to explore and contribute to the understanding of migration, ageing, and cultural dynamics.
Contact person: Sandy Nguyen (Sandy.nguyen1@monash.edu)
