gatekeeper
GAYT-kee-per
/ˈɡeɪtkiːpər/
A person who controls access to a particular group, community, or set of information.
In research, a gatekeeper is often the first person you must convince to allow your study to happen.
The story behind the word. A literal compound of 'gate' and 'keeper'. Historically, it referred to the person who guarded the gates of a city or castle. In the 1940s, psychologist Kurt Lewin began using it to describe people who control the flow of information in a social system.
Word relationships
- access-controller: A more literal, clinical term; gatekeeper implies a more social or protective role.
- facilitator: A facilitator actively helps you gain access and move forward, rather than controlling the entrance.
Commonly confused with
- stakeholder: A stakeholder has an interest in the outcome; a gatekeeper specifically controls the entry.
Word family
- gatekeeping (noun): The activity of controlling, and usually limiting, general access to something.
Collocations
- identify the gatekeeper
- negotiate with gatekeepers
- community gatekeeper
- institutional gatekeeper
Example sentences
- "The gatekeeper is the individual who can grant or deny access to the research site and its participants." Fieldwork ethics
- "The CEO's executive assistant acts as a powerful gatekeeper, deciding which emails actually reach the boss." Corporate culture
Memory hook
Imagine someone holding the keys to a locked gate; you can't get in until they say 'yes'. Gatekeeper: The person with the keys to the group.
When not to use
While it can be used for literal security guards, in sociology, it usually refers to someone with social or political power.
Fun facts
- In journalism, editors are considered gatekeepers because they decide which stories are 'news' and which are not.
Explore more words
give permission, curator, authority, barrier, intermediary, liaison
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