Impression Management

Atkinson (1997) has found it necessary to manage contrasting impressions of expertise and ignorance. My nationality and Taiwaneseness are social categories that were observed, particularly in contrast with Mainland China. When the informants spoke about music scenes in China, some of them compared Taiwan with the Mainland in order provide me with guidance. When speaking of their musical experience when in school, it was quite common for the informants to suggest ‘the famous artists at the time mostly came from your Taiwan.’ I was asked about travel information a number of times regarding participants’ potential plans to visit Taiwan on holidays. In XJTLU, because some students are actively considering studying at the Liverpool campus, interest in the UK also led to them asking more questions regarding the places I have encountered or lived in. Due to the tension between Mainland China and Hong Kong, any mention of Chinese culture and making suggestions regarding its relation to Hong Kong could be perceived negatively and trigger different responses. One of the gatekeepers who introduced me to musicians, related the impression she had concerning our initial communication. When she first read my research participant recruitment statement, she thought I must be a Mainland Chinese PhD student who wanted to study this subject emphasising the values of employing Chineseness in music. She said she did not think I was Taiwanese until she learned more about the project.

For my research, the impressions participants had regarding my educational background also needed management, as some participants considered that I was a ‘music expert’ seeking out other experts who might share their knowledge of music. Some participants kindly expressed concerns about their limited knowledge about music, leading them to question if this would make them ‘less’ worthy for a music researcher to study. It took me some time to convince some of them that I was not looking for experts in music or avid fans. The other type of impression that has had a significant impact on my field relations concerns my nationality and personal history. Different informants placed me in several social categories –

Taiwanese, PhD student, living in the UK – thereby forming certain initial impressions, which might even set the agenda for our interactions. In some cases, the impression of shared proximity (e.g. speaking the same language or graduating from the same university) can be beneficial, but in other cases it can be problematic. For instance, when I was interviewing university students in National Chengchi University in Taiwan, I was introduced to some students as a researcher who used to study there by the professors/gatekeepers. As a result, during our interactions, almost all the participants called me ‘學姐’ (xue jie). This term does not have a precise English translation but roughly means ‘female senior alumni’. This is a token of respect and formality, as well as a register of common courtesy in Taiwan. The term was usually used in the early stages of our interactions, even when we were merely

scheduling a place to meet for the first time: ‘Chen-Yu xue jie’ was the recipient address used in several emails.

Referring to me as xue jie is regarded as appropriate in this social and cultural context, but it creates another field relations dimension, which seems to require a level of respect on the part of the researched to the researcher according to an unspoken rule. Apart from its sub-context, it suggested a different kind of relationship than was evident in interactions with informants in other locations, and what could be even more complicating is the power relations

embodied in such a register. Knowing that this dimension might have potential influence on my interactions with these students, I made an intentional effort to join them in some of their classes over the three months. I positioned myself as another student in class; I took notes, asked questions, and most of the time just sat in the class and observed. When we met up, the locations were usually student restaurants and coffee shops. Through this process, my aim was to spend time with the students in such a way that they could view me as a learner and observer, rather than as a senior figure pressuring them into any kind of given response. This predetermined politeness decreased little by little during my time there.

For a comparative study like this one, the importance of adjusting strategies in each location in a flexible manner cannot be overemphasised. As mentioned previously in this section, impression management is a crucial part of this adjustment. However, it is impossible to eliminate all these perceived differences that generate various impressions. Although, having some degree of similarity to the studied might help to establish trust and familiarity, in some cases working with differences or even being in a marginal position will bring creative insight to a study (Lofland, 1971). The next section outlines a case based on my social interactions in the field and how this was informed by gender and my outsider status.