The Field Setting
In the case of my research, gaining access and establishing rapport were field work
fundamentals required not only to obtain successful entry, but also to remain safe. In both El
Salvador and Mexico, I interviewed a variety of subjects ranging from current and former
politicians, party leaders and military officials to priests, NGO representatives, and average
civilians. Politically, some of the interviewees stood on the side of the PMGs (if they did not
support them outright), others opposed the PMGs; some had literally fought against the
paramilitaries, others denied their very existence. This range of subjects required that I walk a
very careful line. I had to avoid any appearance of siding with an interviewee’s opposition, and
many times also had to avoid the appearance of objectivity. Failure to agree, or to at least
empathize, with the respondent not only could mean an unsuccessful interview, but could also
pose a risk to my personal safety. Thus using evaluative signals via demeanor and conversation
did not undermine the validity of this research, but rather was a vital role in establishing trust and
facilitating the interviewee’s willingness to speak openly.
Establishing rapport in the case of this research was consequently challenged by a myriad
of elements. First, race and citizenry: the fact is that I am a gringa, a white American. The
political relationship between the United States and Latin America followed me perhaps more
than my race did. Particularly in El Salvador, where I was working just as President Bush
decided to send U.S. troops into Iraq, questions about September 11
th
and the Administration’s
response frequently preceded the start of an interview.
Add to that the fact that my Spanish is
6
In some cases, references to the current state of affairs in the U.S. actually infused an interview. For instance, a
member of the right-wing ARENA party in El Salvador was energetically condemning the left-wing FMLN party in
an interview when, in an apparent attempt to ensure that I was convinced of the evil nature of his party’s opponents,
he proclaimed that members of the FMLN had been excitedly cheering in the streets after the U.S. was attacked on
September 11
th
. I was unable to confirm or definitively refute this report in other interviews.
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Convention