Citation

Vargas L. Qual. Soc. Work 2016; 15(5-6): 696-704.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1473325016652684

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article explores the journey of a doctoral student conducting field research in Mexico on how violence affects the provision of health care services and health. Mexico has seen a dramatic increase in violence caused by the Drug Wars in the last decade that has spread to many states throughout the country. Using translations, metaphors, and examples from my field research that refer to violence, I explore the complexity of inhabiting different cultures and languages simultaneously as well as my role as a researcher, translator, and interpreter of what remains hidden or silent. In the process, I am pulled in different directions as I learn to adapt in a reflexive process. I explore whether what I have learned in my academic journey is enough to study the relationship between violence and health care service provision. The journey is a reflection on what I have learned about breaking some of the silences around the topic. I discuss the tension of writing this article on a sensitive topic and my responsibility as a researcher, translator, and interpreter of lived experiences. The text is an arrangement, which can be interpreted as a whole (or in parts).

Language: en