Research as Relationship

Abstract

This article explores the author’s multiple relationships with the Head Start staff and children at Wood River. The text is presented in a story-narrative form. Interspersed are the Head Start teacher’s comments about an earlier draft of this article. There are three aspects of these relationships that the author explores. The first is the relationships among researchers’ multiple community memberships when conducting research. The second is the relationships with mentors who guide researchers in how they conduct their investigations. The third entails the author’s relationships with the Wood River staff and children. These relationships do not follow a smooth path; rather, they shift over time and from one moment to the next based on the context at hand.