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Researching forced migration and health of migrant populations in cross-cultural contexts
Author(s)
Date Issued
2026
Publisher
SAGE Publications Ltd
ISBN
9781036253530
Citation
In Cody, C., Adams, M., Lenette, C., Lau, P. Y. F., Mendes, K., Liamputtong, P., Praslova, L., Scott, K. A., & Cohenmiller, A. (Eds.). (2026). Sage research methods: Inclusive research methodologies. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Type
Book Chapter
Abstract
Multicultural societies comprise a diverse population from various cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds who may arrive in the host society as migrant workers, legal or illegal immigrants, and refugees. Many migrants belong to disadvantaged groups and have limited access to social resources within the host community. Their well-being and health have increasingly garnered attention in social research. Given the diversity of respondents’ cultural and ethnic background, qualitative methods such as in‑depth interviews, focus groups, and ethnography are particularly valuable for clarifying the aims of research and ensuring that interview questions are understood. To this end, this guide discusses the challenges and strategies of conducting cross-cultural qualitative research, drawing on the authors’ research experiences with African and South Asian asylum seekers and South Asian migrant cancer patients in Hong Kong over the past decade.
For cross-cultural researchers, the lack of shared cultural identities with respondents can lead to challenges in rapport development, communication, and the overall effectiveness of data collection. Thus, this guide addresses the following issues: (1) How can a cross-cultural researcher gain access to respondents? (2) How does a cross-cultural researcher build rapport with respondents and initiate conversation? (3) How does a researcher navigate ethically and culturally sensitive data collection in health and forced migration research while addressing linguistic, legal, and logistical barriers? As a locally rooted Hong Kong Chinese, the author shares her approach to researching non-Chinese minority populations in the hope of shedding light on cross-cultural researchers worldwide.
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