This article critically evaluates 'shadowing' as a qualitative research method. Sometimes describ... more This article critically evaluates 'shadowing' as a qualitative research method. Sometimes described as the relatively straightforward opportunity to observe and record the actions and behaviours of a single individual during the course of their everyday working activities (McDonald, 2005), this article demonstrates that shadowing is often a highly disruptive and to some extent performative undertaking, both for the researched and for the researcher. Yet, it is precisely the disruptive potential of shadowing that makes it a valuable data collection method, offering the opportunity to gain significant insights that would be largely unobtainable via any other method. Following a brief discussion of shadowing as a research tool and an introduction to the 'Muslim Chaplaincy Project', the remainder of the article describes the experience of shadowing an individual Muslim hospital chaplain in detail. What becomes apparent is that shadowing has the potential to blur into other qualitative data collection methods (e.g. interviewing), especially when those we are shadowing have developed roles that engage them in various discursive communities, and a range of cooperative networks. Shadowing such individuals complicates our understanding of how this method operates in practice.
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf ... more Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
In 2005, I documented my unsuccessful attempts to conduct qualitative research in a particular gr... more In 2005, I documented my unsuccessful attempts to conduct qualitative research in a particular group of British Islamic seminaries responsible for training future imams and scholars ('ulama). These seminaries or "darul uloom" (in Arabic, "house of knowledge", often abbreviated "DU") reflect the "Deobandi" tradition due to their origins in the town of Deoband, India, in the nineteenth century. My article, published in the journal Fieldwork in Religion, considered the circumstantial, contextual, and historical factors that might explain why access was apparently impossible for social science researchers, at the time. In this article, twelve years on, I explore why research access is now more possible in at least some Deobandi institutions. These include developmental changes within and outside these seminaries, and aspects of personal and professional biography. My article considers the processual nature of research access, and the need for a felicitous convergence of circumstantial and biographical conditions.
This paper documents the findings of an ESRC-funded project about religion in the context of the ... more This paper documents the findings of an ESRC-funded project about religion in the context of the international global shipping industry, with particular focus on the work of port chaplains. We describe the physical, emotional, spiritual and financial risks involved in port chaplaincy work, and the way this form of religious employment is distinctly gendered. But the risks and challenges of port chaplaincy are considered alongside its intrinsic rewards and potential for professional fulfilment, most especially through the traffic of material goods and the sharing of hospitality that enable relationships between chaplains and seafarers. Our work contributes to the scholarly field of workplace chaplaincy by providing an empirical case study of port chaplains who typically operate as ‘lone workers’ as they minister to seafarers whose labours are so vital to the global economy. We consider the fact that lone workers can be vulnerable to exclusion from effective management practices which otherwise assume face-to-face interaction.
This article examines the question of sleeping (or not) during the course of ethnographic fieldwo... more This article examines the question of sleeping (or not) during the course of ethnographic fieldwork. It is argued that the concept of what is termed here 'sleepwork' has yet to be fully addressed or adequately problematised in the fields of sociology and social anthropology, in particular. The first part of the article highlights the relative silence about sleeping and fieldwork in the literature on qualitative research methods, and reflects upon why this subject is largely absent from the ethnographic corpus. I then make a number of propositions about some potential methodological strategies for incorporating 'sleepwork' into fieldwork. The second part of the article suggests that data analysis should not be seen as an activity that only occurs in states of wakefulness, but rather as a 24/7 activity that is undertaken with varying intensity.
This paper contributes to research about Muslim communities in Wales (Gilliat-Ray and Mellor 2010... more This paper contributes to research about Muslim communities in Wales (Gilliat-Ray and Mellor 2010; Mellor and Gilliat-Ray 2013), by exploring some of the ways in which Muslims identify with Wales and have brought their faith and traditions into conversation with Welsh cultural, religious, and civic life. This occurs through strategic use of the Welsh language, especially on occasions that ‘celebrate the nation’, recognition and identification with features of the landscape and geography of Wales, and the continuity of leadership of Muslim communities. In addition, the vibrancy of Welsh Muslim institutions suggests that they have a significant role to play in the contemporary religious landscape of Wales. I suggest that they are responsible for sustaining some of the characteristic features of historic Welsh religious culture, in a context where the main denominations of the Christian churches are struggling to maintain active congregations. The energy and activism of Welsh Muslims suggests that they are taking on some responsibility for ‘keeping faith’ in Wales and creating new postsecular spaces and practices in the urban public sphere that engage in a dialogical and reflexive relationship with aspects of Welsh tradition.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or s... more This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sublicensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Historical introduction I n the mid-19 th century, a major technical transformation took place in... more Historical introduction I n the mid-19 th century, a major technical transformation took place in the world's merchant shipping industry. Most freight ships were no longer powered by sails, but by steam from coal-fired engines. At this time, the Durham and South Wales coalfields were among the most productive in Britain, and their proximity to major ports like Cardiff and South Shields gave these places a particular strategic advantage in the world of commercial shipping. But the transition from sail to steam vessels created work that was hot, dirty and tiring, and this form of occupation was increasingly rejected by British labourers. New recruits on these trading ships were therefore drawn from colonial territories with strong merchant shipping traditions, such as coastal India, Yemen, and Somalia. They were employed primarily as firemen and stokers on vessels moving between Britain and the far East (Aithie 2005; El-Solh 1993; Lawless 1995). In cities such as Cardiff, boarding houses were established to accommodate this transient community of seafarers drawn from many different religious and ethnic origins. Having completed their passage on one ship, they would reside in boarding houses in dockland areas until new employment could be found on an out-bound vessel. By 1881 there were enough transitory seafarers in Cardiff to warrant the establishment of a so-called "Home for Coloured Seamen" in the Butetown district of the city (Ansari 2004). An increasing number of boarding houses owned and managed by Muslims, mostly Yemenis from the Shamiri tribe, provided a physical, social, religious and economic base for these seafarers, and provided the foundations for the later emergence of more established religious facilities and associations. The diversity of the British Empire was reflected in microcosm in most major British maritime ports, including Cardiff. Besides the Yemeni and Somali seafarers, there were Pathans, Punjabis and Mirpuris who had been recruited in Bombay, while Bengalis from the Sylhet region were recruited in Calcutta. The availability of workers for the ships varied according to the vibrancy of the agricultural industry at the time, since most recruits were peasant farmers. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 brought an
Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy provides a lens through which to explore critical questions relat... more Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy provides a lens through which to explore critical questions relating to contemporary religion in public life, and the institutionalisation of Islam in particular. Providing a rich description of the personnel, practice, and politics of contemporary Muslim chaplaincy, the authors consider the extent to which Muslim chaplaincy might be distinctive in Britain relative to the work of Muslim chaplains in the USA and other countries. This book will make a major contribution to international debate about the place of religion in public life and institutions. This book derives from research that has depended on exclusive access to a wide range of public institutions and personnel who largely work 'behind closed doors'. By making public the work of these chaplains and critically examining the impact of their work within and beyond their institutions, this book offers a groundbreaking study in the field of contemporary religion that will stimulate discussion for many years to come about Islam and Muslims in Western societies.
Religion in Prison Equal Rites in a Multi-Faith Society This is the first in-depth examination of... more Religion in Prison Equal Rites in a Multi-Faith Society This is the first in-depth examination of relations between the Church of England and other faiths in the Prison Service Chaplaincy. It shows how the struggle for equal opportunities in a multi-faith society is politicising ...
The first of the nine National Charter Standards stated in the Patient's Charter, launch... more The first of the nine National Charter Standards stated in the Patient's Charter, launched in 1991 by the UK Department of Health, specifies 'respect for privacy, dignity and religious and cultural beliefs'. Over the past decade, partly as a consequence of this dimension of the Charter, ...
... Tags. Religion in Higher Education: The Politics of the Multi-faith campus. by: Sophie Gillia... more ... Tags. Religion in Higher Education: The Politics of the Multi-faith campus. by: Sophie Gilliat-Ray. RIS, Export as RIS which can be imported into most citation managers. BibTeX, Export as BibTeX which can be imported into most citation/bibliography managers. ...
This article reports upon the unsuccessful efforts made to negotiate research access to four Deob... more This article reports upon the unsuccessful efforts made to negotiate research access to four Deobandi dar ul-uloom (Islamic 'seminaries') in the UK. I describe the attempts that I (and others) have made to conduct research in these institutions, and consider various ways that refusal might be ...
... Tags. Multiculturalism and identity: their relationship for British Muslims. by: Sophie Gilli... more ... Tags. Multiculturalism and identity: their relationship for British Muslims. by: Sophie Gilliat-Ray. RIS, Export as RIS which can be imported into most citation managers. BibTeX, Export as BibTeX which can be imported into most citation/bibliography managers. ...
Page 1. SOPHIE GILLIAT-RAY Muslims in Britain An Introduction ... Beginning with these historical... more Page 1. SOPHIE GILLIAT-RAY Muslims in Britain An Introduction ... Beginning with these historical roots, Sophie Gilliat-Ray traces the major points of encounter between Muslims and the British in subsequent centuries and explores Muslim migration to Britain in recent times. ...
This article critically evaluates 'shadowing' as a qualitative research method. Sometimes describ... more This article critically evaluates 'shadowing' as a qualitative research method. Sometimes described as the relatively straightforward opportunity to observe and record the actions and behaviours of a single individual during the course of their everyday working activities (McDonald, 2005), this article demonstrates that shadowing is often a highly disruptive and to some extent performative undertaking, both for the researched and for the researcher. Yet, it is precisely the disruptive potential of shadowing that makes it a valuable data collection method, offering the opportunity to gain significant insights that would be largely unobtainable via any other method. Following a brief discussion of shadowing as a research tool and an introduction to the 'Muslim Chaplaincy Project', the remainder of the article describes the experience of shadowing an individual Muslim hospital chaplain in detail. What becomes apparent is that shadowing has the potential to blur into other qualitative data collection methods (e.g. interviewing), especially when those we are shadowing have developed roles that engage them in various discursive communities, and a range of cooperative networks. Shadowing such individuals complicates our understanding of how this method operates in practice.
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf ... more Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
In 2005, I documented my unsuccessful attempts to conduct qualitative research in a particular gr... more In 2005, I documented my unsuccessful attempts to conduct qualitative research in a particular group of British Islamic seminaries responsible for training future imams and scholars ('ulama). These seminaries or "darul uloom" (in Arabic, "house of knowledge", often abbreviated "DU") reflect the "Deobandi" tradition due to their origins in the town of Deoband, India, in the nineteenth century. My article, published in the journal Fieldwork in Religion, considered the circumstantial, contextual, and historical factors that might explain why access was apparently impossible for social science researchers, at the time. In this article, twelve years on, I explore why research access is now more possible in at least some Deobandi institutions. These include developmental changes within and outside these seminaries, and aspects of personal and professional biography. My article considers the processual nature of research access, and the need for a felicitous convergence of circumstantial and biographical conditions.
This paper documents the findings of an ESRC-funded project about religion in the context of the ... more This paper documents the findings of an ESRC-funded project about religion in the context of the international global shipping industry, with particular focus on the work of port chaplains. We describe the physical, emotional, spiritual and financial risks involved in port chaplaincy work, and the way this form of religious employment is distinctly gendered. But the risks and challenges of port chaplaincy are considered alongside its intrinsic rewards and potential for professional fulfilment, most especially through the traffic of material goods and the sharing of hospitality that enable relationships between chaplains and seafarers. Our work contributes to the scholarly field of workplace chaplaincy by providing an empirical case study of port chaplains who typically operate as ‘lone workers’ as they minister to seafarers whose labours are so vital to the global economy. We consider the fact that lone workers can be vulnerable to exclusion from effective management practices which otherwise assume face-to-face interaction.
This article examines the question of sleeping (or not) during the course of ethnographic fieldwo... more This article examines the question of sleeping (or not) during the course of ethnographic fieldwork. It is argued that the concept of what is termed here 'sleepwork' has yet to be fully addressed or adequately problematised in the fields of sociology and social anthropology, in particular. The first part of the article highlights the relative silence about sleeping and fieldwork in the literature on qualitative research methods, and reflects upon why this subject is largely absent from the ethnographic corpus. I then make a number of propositions about some potential methodological strategies for incorporating 'sleepwork' into fieldwork. The second part of the article suggests that data analysis should not be seen as an activity that only occurs in states of wakefulness, but rather as a 24/7 activity that is undertaken with varying intensity.
This paper contributes to research about Muslim communities in Wales (Gilliat-Ray and Mellor 2010... more This paper contributes to research about Muslim communities in Wales (Gilliat-Ray and Mellor 2010; Mellor and Gilliat-Ray 2013), by exploring some of the ways in which Muslims identify with Wales and have brought their faith and traditions into conversation with Welsh cultural, religious, and civic life. This occurs through strategic use of the Welsh language, especially on occasions that ‘celebrate the nation’, recognition and identification with features of the landscape and geography of Wales, and the continuity of leadership of Muslim communities. In addition, the vibrancy of Welsh Muslim institutions suggests that they have a significant role to play in the contemporary religious landscape of Wales. I suggest that they are responsible for sustaining some of the characteristic features of historic Welsh religious culture, in a context where the main denominations of the Christian churches are struggling to maintain active congregations. The energy and activism of Welsh Muslims suggests that they are taking on some responsibility for ‘keeping faith’ in Wales and creating new postsecular spaces and practices in the urban public sphere that engage in a dialogical and reflexive relationship with aspects of Welsh tradition.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or s... more This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sublicensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Historical introduction I n the mid-19 th century, a major technical transformation took place in... more Historical introduction I n the mid-19 th century, a major technical transformation took place in the world's merchant shipping industry. Most freight ships were no longer powered by sails, but by steam from coal-fired engines. At this time, the Durham and South Wales coalfields were among the most productive in Britain, and their proximity to major ports like Cardiff and South Shields gave these places a particular strategic advantage in the world of commercial shipping. But the transition from sail to steam vessels created work that was hot, dirty and tiring, and this form of occupation was increasingly rejected by British labourers. New recruits on these trading ships were therefore drawn from colonial territories with strong merchant shipping traditions, such as coastal India, Yemen, and Somalia. They were employed primarily as firemen and stokers on vessels moving between Britain and the far East (Aithie 2005; El-Solh 1993; Lawless 1995). In cities such as Cardiff, boarding houses were established to accommodate this transient community of seafarers drawn from many different religious and ethnic origins. Having completed their passage on one ship, they would reside in boarding houses in dockland areas until new employment could be found on an out-bound vessel. By 1881 there were enough transitory seafarers in Cardiff to warrant the establishment of a so-called "Home for Coloured Seamen" in the Butetown district of the city (Ansari 2004). An increasing number of boarding houses owned and managed by Muslims, mostly Yemenis from the Shamiri tribe, provided a physical, social, religious and economic base for these seafarers, and provided the foundations for the later emergence of more established religious facilities and associations. The diversity of the British Empire was reflected in microcosm in most major British maritime ports, including Cardiff. Besides the Yemeni and Somali seafarers, there were Pathans, Punjabis and Mirpuris who had been recruited in Bombay, while Bengalis from the Sylhet region were recruited in Calcutta. The availability of workers for the ships varied according to the vibrancy of the agricultural industry at the time, since most recruits were peasant farmers. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 brought an
Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy provides a lens through which to explore critical questions relat... more Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy provides a lens through which to explore critical questions relating to contemporary religion in public life, and the institutionalisation of Islam in particular. Providing a rich description of the personnel, practice, and politics of contemporary Muslim chaplaincy, the authors consider the extent to which Muslim chaplaincy might be distinctive in Britain relative to the work of Muslim chaplains in the USA and other countries. This book will make a major contribution to international debate about the place of religion in public life and institutions. This book derives from research that has depended on exclusive access to a wide range of public institutions and personnel who largely work 'behind closed doors'. By making public the work of these chaplains and critically examining the impact of their work within and beyond their institutions, this book offers a groundbreaking study in the field of contemporary religion that will stimulate discussion for many years to come about Islam and Muslims in Western societies.
Religion in Prison Equal Rites in a Multi-Faith Society This is the first in-depth examination of... more Religion in Prison Equal Rites in a Multi-Faith Society This is the first in-depth examination of relations between the Church of England and other faiths in the Prison Service Chaplaincy. It shows how the struggle for equal opportunities in a multi-faith society is politicising ...
The first of the nine National Charter Standards stated in the Patient's Charter, launch... more The first of the nine National Charter Standards stated in the Patient's Charter, launched in 1991 by the UK Department of Health, specifies 'respect for privacy, dignity and religious and cultural beliefs'. Over the past decade, partly as a consequence of this dimension of the Charter, ...
... Tags. Religion in Higher Education: The Politics of the Multi-faith campus. by: Sophie Gillia... more ... Tags. Religion in Higher Education: The Politics of the Multi-faith campus. by: Sophie Gilliat-Ray. RIS, Export as RIS which can be imported into most citation managers. BibTeX, Export as BibTeX which can be imported into most citation/bibliography managers. ...
This article reports upon the unsuccessful efforts made to negotiate research access to four Deob... more This article reports upon the unsuccessful efforts made to negotiate research access to four Deobandi dar ul-uloom (Islamic 'seminaries') in the UK. I describe the attempts that I (and others) have made to conduct research in these institutions, and consider various ways that refusal might be ...
... Tags. Multiculturalism and identity: their relationship for British Muslims. by: Sophie Gilli... more ... Tags. Multiculturalism and identity: their relationship for British Muslims. by: Sophie Gilliat-Ray. RIS, Export as RIS which can be imported into most citation managers. BibTeX, Export as BibTeX which can be imported into most citation/bibliography managers. ...
Page 1. SOPHIE GILLIAT-RAY Muslims in Britain An Introduction ... Beginning with these historical... more Page 1. SOPHIE GILLIAT-RAY Muslims in Britain An Introduction ... Beginning with these historical roots, Sophie Gilliat-Ray traces the major points of encounter between Muslims and the British in subsequent centuries and explores Muslim migration to Britain in recent times. ...
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