The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the complexities associated with the trust-building process between participants and researcher in the context of a precarious work environment. Specifically, the paper seeks to discuss issues arising from the power dynamics, mistrust and tensions between different stakeholders in the research (i.e. employers, employees and the researcher), and the implications of such relationships for establishing rapport and trust with research participants.,This paper uses the case of the shipping industry and is based upon findings from two research projects. One project examined similarities and differences between the merchant vessel and Goffman’s theoretical conceptualisation of “total institutions” (Goffman, 1961); the other focused on the increasing flexibility of labour in the global labour market, using the case of shipping. Both projects incorporated ethnographic research methods which included three voyages on board merchant vessels, as well as interviews and informal conversations with over 100 participants.,The researcher encountered several obstacles throughout the projects, many of which related to the access to the restricted workplace setting of a cargo ship. However, this paper is based on her positioning in the field after permission to access the ship had been granted by the shipping company. It was often challenging to overcome participants’ suspicions of the researcher as being sent by the company to spy on them. The researcher generally managed to overcome such suspicions in the course of her fieldwork by building relationships with participants over time. Nevertheless, these relationships were influenced by the complex power dynamics amongst the different stakeholders in the field. The challenges encountered in the field sites suggest that researchers should be open and fluid in the ways they present themselves in the field. The findings potentially offer useful insights for novice researchers whose research focuses on workplace settings characterised by precariousness of employment and for those conducting shipboard research.,The main contribution of this paper lies within its ability to shed light on the often-delicate relationships between different stakeholders in a research project, and the influence of these relationships on a researcher’s continuous access to the field. The experiences described in this paper are based on the global shipping industry, but they are also relevant to other closed, isolated and/or restricted research settings. Specifically, experiences described in this paper are similar to those of researchers studying “closed” research environments that are not accessible to the general public; this is particularly the case where a hierarchical work structure controls to some extent the roles played by different stakeholders within the precarious work environment, potentially influencing the way someone from outside the workplace approaches it. These include, for example, government owned establishments such as prisons, mental hospitals as well as privately owned closed business organisations.

中文翻译：

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“即使是间谍也没关系”：研究员在不稳定的工作场所中的定位问题

本文的目的是在不稳定的工作环境中研究参与者与研究人员之间建立信任过程的一些复杂性。具体而言，本文旨在讨论由动力动态，研究中不同利益相关者（即雇主，雇员和研究人员）之间的不信任和紧张关系引起的问题，以及这种关系对与研究参与者建立融洽关系和信任的影响。本文以航运业为例，并基于两个研究项目的发现。一个项目研究了商船与戈夫曼关于“整体制度”的理论概念之间的异同（Goffman，1961）。另一个侧重于全球劳动力市场中日益增加的劳动力灵活性，使用运输的情况下。这两个项目都采用了人种学研究方法，包括三艘商船航行，以及与100多名参与者的访谈和非正式对话。研究人员在整个项目中遇到了一些障碍，其中许多与进入受限的工作场所有关。一艘货船。但是，本文是基于船公司在获得船公司的准入许可后在该领域的定位。克服参与者对研究人员的怀疑通常是具有挑战性的，因为公司派他们去监视他们。研究人员通常通过在一段时间内与参与者建立关系来克服她的怀疑。尽管如此，这些关系受到该领域不同利益相关者之间复杂的动力动态的影响。在现场遇到的挑战表明，研究人员应该以开放的态度和充满活力的方式展现自己在现场的表现。该发现可能为新手研究人员提供新的见解，他们的研究重点是工作不稳定的工作环境，也适合进行船上研究的人员。本文的主要贡献在于其能够阐明不同利益相关者之间通常微妙的关系。在一个研究项目中，以及这些关系对研究人员不断进入该领域的影响。本文所述的经验是基于全球航运业的经验，但也与其他封闭行业有关，孤立和/或受限的研究设置。具体而言，本文所述的经验与研究普通公众无法获得的“封闭”研究环境的研究人员的经验相似。在分层工作结构在某种程度上控制着不稳定的工作环境中不同利益相关者所扮演的角色的情况下，尤其是在这种情况下，可能会影响工作场所外部人员的工作方式。这些包括，例如，监狱，精神病院等政府拥有的机构，以及私有的封闭式商业组织。在分层工作结构在某种程度上控制着不稳定的工作环境中不同利益相关者所扮演的角色的情况下，尤其是在这种情况下，可能会影响工作场所外部人员的工作方式。这些包括，例如，监狱，精神病院等政府拥有的机构，以及私有的封闭式商业组织。在分层工作结构在某种程度上控制着不稳定的工作环境中不同利益相关者所扮演的角色的情况下，尤其是在这种情况下，可能会影响工作场所外部人员的工作方式。这些包括，例如，监狱，精神病院等政府拥有的机构，以及私有的封闭式商业组织。