Producing emotionally sensed knowledge? Reflexivity and emotions in researching responses to death

This paper reflects on the methodological complexities of producing emotionally-sensed knowledge about responses to family deaths in urban Senegal. Through engaging in ‘uncomfortable reflexivity’, we critically explore the multiple positionings of the research team comprised of UK, Senegalese and Bu...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bowlby, Sophie (Author)
Contributors: Wouango, Joséphine ; Ribbens McCarthy, Jane ; Kébé, Fatou ; Evans, Ruth
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2017
In: International journal of social research methodology
Year: 2017
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Volltext (kostenfrei)
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Description
Summary:This paper reflects on the methodological complexities of producing emotionally-sensed knowledge about responses to family deaths in urban Senegal. Through engaging in ‘uncomfortable reflexivity’, we critically explore the multiple positionings of the research team comprised of UK, Senegalese and Burkinabé researchers and those of participants in Senegal and interrogate our own cultural assumptions. We explore the emotional labour of the research process from an ethic of care perspective and reflect on how our multiple positionings and emotions influence the production and interpretation of the data, particularly exemplified through our differing responses to diverse meanings of ‘family’ and religious refrains. We show how our approach of ‘uncomfortable reflexivity’ helps to reveal the work of emotions in research, thereby producing ‘emotionally sensed knowledge’ about responses to death and contributing to the cross-cultural study of emotions
ISSN:1464-5300
DOI:10.1080/13645579.2016.1257679