Cross-Cultural Environmental Research: Lessons from the Field

Environmental research with diverse stakeholders poses challenges for researchers, particularly when that research is also cross-cultural and/or cross-language. We argue that cross-cultural and/or cross-language environmental research requires translators and interpreters as active research partners...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental management (New York) 2022-08, Vol.70 (2), p.241-253
Main Authors: Schewe, Rebecca L., Hoffman, David, Witt, Joseph, Freeman, Matthew, Shoup, Brian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic Pollution
Asian Americans
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Collaboration
Commercial fishing
Culture
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecology
Environment
Environmental Management
Environmental research
Fisheries management
Fishing
Forestry Management
Interpreters
Language
Mixed methods research
Nature Conservation
Research methodology
Researchers
Response rates
Seafood
Surveys
Translators
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
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Summary:Environmental research with diverse stakeholders poses challenges for researchers, particularly when that research is also cross-cultural and/or cross-language. We argue that cross-cultural and/or cross-language environmental research requires translators and interpreters as active research partners, culture brokers and community partners to support research accountability and engagement, and that face-to-face surveys address challenges of other survey modes in cross-language and/or cross-cultural research. Drawing upon cross-cultural and cross-language environmental research with Vietnamese–American fishers on the U.S. Gulf Coast, we find that face-to-face surveys may promote response rate and allow for clarification, particularly for participants with language and cultural barriers. Translators, interpreters, culture brokers, and community partners play a critical role in cross-language and cross-cultural research and researchers must reflect on their role shaping research.
ISSN:0364-152X
1432-1009
DOI:10.1007/s00267-022-01660-5