Exercising A Case Study Research in Post-conflict Environment: Exploring the Struggle of the Coastal Farmer Union (PPLP) Opposing the Neoliberal Policy in the Kulon Progo Coastal Area, Indonesia Eka Zuni Lusi Astuti
University of Limerick
Abstract
Researching in a -post-conflict context is challenging. Methodological issues such as research ethics and data-gathering approach are critical. The researcher must have appropriate -measures to collect the data. My fieldwork, spanning five months, took place in six coastal villages in Kulon Progo, Special Region -of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This site -is the home to the Coastal Farmer Union (the PPLP), which rejected the government^s mining plan from 2006 on. Coastal dwellers are mostly farmers who cultivate the coastal land. To obtain -the data I used a qualitative research method with a single case study approach. Many challenges hinder my fieldwork, such as being expelled from the PPLP meeting, being intimidated and stigmatized, and experiencing fears, trauma, and stress. Therefore, I exercise agile data-collection strategies, be more concerned with research ethics, and be self-motivated. I utilized participant observation, snowball sampling, in-depth interviews, and political action to gain information about the coastal farmer resistance. I -employed participant observation, snowball sampling, open-ended interviews, and political action to gather information on the coastal farmer resistance. I -exercised political action to engage with the informants through writing and publishing their struggles in a zine organized by activists who support their struggle. This creates trust in the -informants. Using these strategies, I -obtained the data, and I built social capital with my informants. This paper -discusses my thesis^s methodological approach and how to conduct fieldwork in a post-conflict environment.
Keywords: fieldwork, case study, research ethics, post-conflict environment
Topic: Social Community Dynamics in the Digital Age
