Reflexivity, Power and Positionality in the Field: Methodological Reflections of Researching Uber Drivers in Johannesburg

Abstract

Researching precarious workers constitutes navigating complex methodological and ethical challenges, particularly in contexts marked by insecurity, power asymmetries, and mistrust. In this paper, I provide a reflexive methodological account of conducting qualitative fieldwork with male and female Uber drivers in Johannesburg, drawing on but not reporting the empirical findings of my PhD study. I specifically reflect on how my positionalities, informed by gender, class, and academic status shaped access, trust, and interpretation. These reflections highlight the negotiation of power dynamics, gendered interactions, and ethical dilemmas encountered in time-sensitive research with precarious digital platform workers. I argue that researcher reflexivity is not a procedural add-on but a core ethical and epistemological commitment, especially when engaging with participants in insecure labour contexts. By foregrounding these methodological dilemmas and ethical tensions, the paper contributes to debates on reflexivity, positionality, and power in qualitative research within the context of the gig economy and digital labour