Heather Montgomery's Ethnographic Research
Author Heather Montgomery utilizes her own ethnographic research to examine the ethical dilemma researchers are faced with when exposed to the vulnerable children in “Working With Child Prostitutes in Thailand”. Montgomery conducted her ethnographic fieldwork between 1993 and 1994 in a small slum community in Thailand. She lived among and studied the lives of young prostitutes. Simultaneous to her observation of such children who endure a lifestyle of prostitution, Montgomery recognized the juxtaposition between the emic and etic perspectives of child prostitution and applied the attributed the difference to the rich ethical dilemmas researchers, including herself, experienced. Montgomery utilizes data, ethnographic evidence, as well as her
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The use of statistical data builds her credibility by providing evidence that supports observation and inferences made in the field. Included in the article are Census-like examinations of where children/adolescents worked/ population that worked as child prostitutes, categorizations of exit strategies, and health studies of the children she observed (223). Montgomery also cites other sources of information, showcasing her use of the work of other professionals in the field. Including such references informs readers not only what outside information she utilized, but also who is performing similar research. The most important aspect that solidifies Montgomery’s credibility is the inclusion of her own ethnographic research. Sharing personal stories of Thai youth, like Lek and Sompot, two child prostitutes whose experiences Montgomery references, allowed her to also include the moral ambiguity she felt upon hearing stories that conflicted so greatly with her own ethical values. In fact, nearly every instance of ethnographic evidence is paired with Montgomery’s personal reaction and reflection upon the event. After hearing details of Sompot’s abuse at the hands of a “foreigner,” a term used by the natives to denote the clientele the children engaged in sexual relations with, Montgomery reflected, “such physical evidence of abuse seemed proof that these encounters were unbearably exploitative and abusive and yet, even this must be interpreted with caution”(423). In this instance, Montgomery’s personal definition of abuse conflicted greatly with that which existed in Baan Nua. This inclusion of paired ethnographic evidence and personal analysis emphasized the rate at which Montgomery was forced to confront ethical
The use of statistical data builds her credibility by providing evidence that supports observation and inferences made in the field. Included in the article are Census-like examinations of where children/adolescents worked/ population that worked as child prostitutes, categorizations of exit strategies, and health studies of the children she observed (223). Montgomery also cites other sources of information, showcasing her use of the work of other professionals in the field. Including such references informs readers not only what outside information she utilized, but also who is performing similar research. The most important aspect that solidifies Montgomery’s credibility is the inclusion of her own ethnographic research. Sharing personal stories of Thai youth, like Lek and Sompot, two child prostitutes whose experiences Montgomery references, allowed her to also include the moral ambiguity she felt upon hearing stories that conflicted so greatly with her own ethical values. In fact, nearly every instance of ethnographic evidence is paired with Montgomery’s personal reaction and reflection upon the event. After hearing details of Sompot’s abuse at the hands of a “foreigner,” a term used by the natives to denote the clientele the children engaged in sexual relations with, Montgomery reflected, “such physical evidence of abuse seemed proof that these encounters were unbearably exploitative and abusive and yet, even this must be interpreted with caution”(423). In this instance, Montgomery’s personal definition of abuse conflicted greatly with that which existed in Baan Nua. This inclusion of paired ethnographic evidence and personal analysis emphasized the rate at which Montgomery was forced to confront ethical