Positioning the participant observer: an exploration of the shifting roles of the observer in a lap-dancing club setting

The opening extracts are taken from the field diaries of two ethnographic studies; the first study explored lap-dancing culture and the relationships between lap-dancers (Colosi 2010b); the second, was a British Academy study, which examined the experiences and motivations of lap-dancing club customers. Both were studied and written about within a UK context. The first field diary extract refers to my positionality as an auto-ethnographer; this particular extract reflects upon my dual identity as both ‘erotic dancer’ and ‘researcher’. This auto-ethnographic approach provided me with exceptional insight into the occupational (sub)culture of lap-dancers (see Colosi 2010a). Before embarking on this study I had worked in ‘Starlets’ (the lap-dancing club where my fieldwork was based) for almost two years; this positioned me as an ‘insider’.