In sociology, there is debate over how involved a sociologist should be with the group they are studying. Historical approaches to sociology mimicked the scientific method, meaning the researcher was required to have a level of separation from the researched in order to maintain objectivity. But there is also an intimate understanding that can come only from situations where the researcher is close to the group they are studying. Shaonta’ E. Allen, a sociology PhD candidate, takes this approach to her dissertation project. “There is inherent validity in being close to what you study,” she says, “because there’s a certain level of insight that you have when you are actually a part of the things you are studying, which is actually beneficial and powerful.”