The Emotional Labour of Labour Research: Reflections on Guanxi Network When Conducting Fieldwork in Mainland China
Abstract
This article aims to shed light on the conditions and challenges of conducting fieldwork in China today, presenting the authors’ experiences of building and maintaining guanxi relationships with research participants in China. We explore the benefits, tensions, implications for research quality, and rigour, as well as impacts on academic labour. A central conclusion is that academics must master both sentiment and instrumental elements of their guanxi network, without breaking the professional code of conduct. We hope our article can promote more academic conversation on these challenges, considering that, in practice, guanxi networks are crucial to successful field research experiences in China, where access to valuable participants has become increasingly constrained in recent years.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
Emotional Labor in Professions
Management and Organizational Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Sociological Research Online
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 502–511
- Publication date
- 6 February 2026
- Language
- EN