Make yourself at home: The social construction of research roles in family studies.

As studies of the role of media in the life of the family increase in quantity and sophistication, researchers have an opportunity to reflect upon their methodological approaches to understanding the contexts of media consumption, socialization practices and mediation strategies. In particular, we are at a juncture where it is critical for researchers to explore the complex ways in which families respond to being studied in their home environment. This paper reflects upon the author's experiences in two separate research projects that involved working with families with school-age children to learn about media use in the home. It focuses on the points at which the researcher intersects with the family, and the ways in which meaning-making is negotiated between the observer and the observed. Using a social constructionist approach, the paper outlines how different families define the researcher's "role" (student, person, guest, negative agent) and how the role may ultimately shape the research environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]