The Shackles Have Been Removed!

Yesterday afternoon, I received confirmation that my low-risk ethics application has been approved! The shackles have been removed, and I can now talk, write, and publish to my heart’s content.

I was beginning to think this day might never come.

After considerable back-and-forth between my supervisors and me, my initial application was returned by the Ethics Chair, who sought clarification on several points. Although the process stirred more than a little frustration, having to dig deeper into explaining my research resulted in something rather unexpected—not only reframing, but refining.

In fact, looking back, I am grateful for having been asked to provide further clarification because I now have the language to describe my project in a way that finally feels right.

Perhaps the biggest revelation was recognising that I am not conducting interviews at all!

I am simply intentionally recording conversations with Anyuci that already occur naturally between us as we reminisce about the past, share family stories, and I endeavour to learn more about my ancestors.

The research is not about extracting information from my mother through a prescribed set of questions. Rather, it is about engaging with the stories told by Anyuci and Ünnepi, reflecting on how those stories—old and new—have shaped, and continue to shape, my sense of identity, belonging, and understanding of the world.

It is also about how I encounter and interpret those stories today, through the lens of a 50-year-old woman carrying her own memories, experiences, and understandings. Memories that sometimes intersect with the stories being told, and sometimes with those left unspoken.