Approaching the Other in the Zipser Community: Identity Issues and Methodological Insights into Geographical Cross-Cultural Research
Approaching the Other in the Zipser Community: Identity Issues and Methodological Insights into Geographical Cross-Cultural Research

Summary/Abstract: The present paper explores aspects of identity and research methodology in the context of ethnic diversity and of the history of the Zipser community, a German-speaking ethnic group. The aim of our paper was that of presenting the Zipser community in the framework of an example of good practice for geographical cross-cultural research, with a focus on the way in which we convinced respondents to take part in it. Using this case study, we clearly showed that for geographical cross-cultural research the method is as significant as the result, hence the need to pay attention to circumstances, to the researcher-respondent interaction, to their personal traits, etc., as all these impact the type and especially the quality of the obtained information. Although geographical cross-cultural research is difficult to approach and implement, in the end we had enough proof that researchers that want to conduct it should develop certain competences. To sum up, the main feature of geographical cross-cultural research is the central place of the researchers’ experience and the respondents’ interpretation or vision, which result in many advantages among which the most significant one is the exchange of qualitative information. In addition, we offered suggestions about planning field research under similar circumstances, but especially for the Zipser community.

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