QRCA Views

22 QRCA VIEWS SPRING 2 0 15 www.qrca.org Digging deeper into what may seem an obvious reference or comment has given me far greater insight than pulling the same card in the U.S. ever did. In a place where I'm clearly recognized as an outsid- er, thanks in no small part to my American accent, there is an understand- ing that further explanation is not only necessary, but also welcome. While any non-local could arguably use this tech- nique, I've found that my personal experi- ence of trial and error in understanding a new set of surroundings has required me to operate with a certain sensitivity; knowing when not to play dumb is equally important in many cases. A common topic of discussion within expat communities is that of true matricu- lation. At what point do you feel like you belong in your new pond? Do you ever feel that way? Even if you start to assimi- late some of your new culture's traits and habits, will you always be seen as a for- eigner, or is it possible to become com- pletely immersed in your new environ- ment? Change expat communities to research ones, and we often ask ourselves the same types of questions. So I won- dered at what point does an expat become a local resource in their new locale, or are they never considered as knowledgeable or valuable as a true local? In speaking with former and current researchers who have taken the plunge and lived abroad, there is disagreement on this very topic. Pia Mollback-Verbic, a European expat now living in India, men- tioned the power of expats to make cul- tural observations that locals may not be able to recognize. Her argument for the benefit of expat researchers was two-fold: not only are those who have lived in new cultural environments perhaps better equipped for examinations of culture in new areas and contexts, but they are able to see nuances and aspects of the norms, values, and ethos that are expressed in a comparative way. A local resource may be an expert in their own pond, but are they able to detect which aspects differ from those of other ponds without having lived in one? In contrast, former researcher Hannah Baker Hitzhusen, an American who has lived in France and is now based in the Netherlands, disagrees that expats can offer insight that true locals cannot. While working as a quallie, she refused to do research in France – where she lived for many years and was fluent in the language – or even in the UK, citing an impossibili- ty to truly pick up on nuances that existed beyond her own personal culture. "We don't know what we don't know," she said during a recent interview, explaining that expats run the risk of missing the impor- tance some pillars of social norms may have during a qualitative discussion. Appreciation and Insight There is one point that those of us who have made the move to new ponds unan- imously agree on: we certainly have greater appreciation for the rituals and habits of any pond – including whichever one we call home – after forcing our- selves to adjust to a new set of rules and customs, and this creates a constant feed of insight. But whether or not expats can be considered local resources or experts in their new surroundings seems to be a matter of personal preference. To summarize a point both expats I spoke with conveyed: to be well traveled is one thing, but you don't really get the interplay of cultural intricacies until you've lived elsewhere. As such, I contin- ue to evaluate my position as a fish in a new pond in a world of locavores and open the discussion to my fellow qualita- tive researchers. Can a transplant offer the same value as a local resource? Are local resources truly the golden standard for understanding in their respective markets? What is the best combination of local understanding and life experience abroad? The ultimate question on the topic might really be much simpler: is there only one right answer in terms of who can get at the insight we seek in a global context? "A local resource may be an expert in their own pond, but are they able to detect which aspects differ from those of other ponds without having lived in one?" Locavores and Fish in New Ponds C O N T I N U E D

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