Narrative Metaphors as a Qualitative Analytical Tool: Networked Webs of Oppression and Pedagogical Care for People of Colour in Academia

Abstract

Reflecting on an (auto)ethnographic study from the standpoint of a person of colour, this article uses the narrative myth of Gaia to analyze and structure the recollection of over 5 years of teaching people of colour at a large Canadian university and distill from them the character of pedagogical care. This article demonstrates how narrative metaphors offered the qualitative researcher an analytical tool to examine the networked webs of oppression conjoining personal lived experiences and experiences of students as a rich source of data for people of colour, excavating the nuanced socioemotional modalities that complicate marginalized instructors’ ability to provide pedagogical care for fellow marginalized students and the emotional labour required to resolve these tensions.