Abstract
In the shifting environments common to peace and conflict research, methodological approach must include adaptability to the shifting roles and change processes undertaken by the researcher through time and space as he/she seeks a worldview that is experienced in the research setting. With a focus on spaces of encounter in contemporary Belfast, this chapter highlights research undertaken in the ice hockey arena as a site where cross-community interaction has been normalised. As a means adapting to my research environment, I happened into a side-by-side methodology, which came to represent the logistical, the theoretical, as well as the researcher worldview. The seating arrangement of being to the left or the right of the interviewee while sharing an experience offered an opportunity to make connection that was not scripted; perhaps aided by informality, a great opportunity was found for opening a door to discussion that would not occur otherwise.
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Notes
- 1.
The Odyssey Arena changed to a corporate sponsor name—the SSE Arena (Scottish and Southern Energy) in 2015.
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Lepp, E. (2021). Read the Room: Side-by-Side Methodology in a Belfast Ice Hockey Arena. In: Mac Ginty, R., Brett, R., Vogel, B. (eds) The Companion to Peace and Conflict Fieldwork. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46433-2_22
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