Relationships between Gatekeepers and Researchers: The Experience of Conducting Evaluations into Parenting Programmes in Community and Penal Settings

The idea of reflexivity in research and how biographies intersect with the field is one which has been discussed by various authors in a number of settings (Finlay 2002; O’Reilly 2012). Although we address some of these issues as critical criminologists1 (Carrington and Hogg 2008), the chapter will focus on ‘social critique’ (Finlay 2002) in terms of the power imbalance between researcher and respondents, and the dynamics involved between the researcher and the professionals, such as social workers and criminal jus- tice professionals, who act as gatekeepers. In a critical research approach, issues of power and powerlessness are paramount if we are to be reflex- ive in our research — critically analysing power, personalities, politics and marginalisation.
This chapter discusses the often problematic process of gaining and sustaining access to individuals or groups via institutions when conducting criminological research. The chapter will consider issues of power, ethics and hierarchy in conducting research with so-called vulnerable populations, namely those incarcerated and those subject to criminal justice sanctions in the community. The chapter discusses the pluralistic nature of the gatekeeper-researcher relationship and asks whether gatekeepers are the most appropriate people to decide whether others should take part in research, highlighting the very real tensions between the powerless and the powerful.