Researching cultural borderlands. Towards a phenomenological and interpersonal methodology

Dr. Justyna Pilarska

Summary:  This article concerns itself with innovative trends in qualitative methodologies that focus on culturally diverse environments as exemplified by the cultural borderland of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s society, whose specific features and challenges warrant methodological research. With reference to my own empirical projects, I discuss applied and empirically developed theoretical models, present data collection and processing techniques and propose a framework that delineates the indispensable interpersonal skills of a researcher dealing with complex phenomena. These reflections constitute an originative project of combining methodological premises that are derived from social sciences and humanities and are applicable to the design and implementation of research projects in such culturally diverse communities as the cultural crossroads of Bosnia-Herzegovina.