Women in the field: Positioning, troubling, and (em)bodying researcher identities in international and comparative education

Johnson, Ane Turner

doi:10.1177/1745499918807031

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In addition to the tools used within interviews, interviewer characteristics and the approach used can influence power relations in interviews (e.g., Coffey, 1999 ; Johnson, 2018 ; Lomax, 2015 ; Mannay, 2016 ; Rose, 2007 ). The data produced in this study’s telephone interviews elicited rich, long narratives where the women offered personal and sensitive accounts of their experiences ( Phillips, Pell et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Visual Timelines in Telephone Interviews: Reflections and Lessons Learned From the Star Family Study

Pell

Williams

Phillips

et al. 2020

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

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Visual timeline methods have been used as part of face-to-face qualitative interviewing with vulnerable populations to uncover the intricacies of lived experiences, but little is known about whether visual timelines can be effectively used in telephone interviews. In this article, we reflect on the process of using visual timelines in 16 telephone interviews with women as part of the “STarting a family when you have an Autoimmune Rheumatic disease” study (STAR Family Study). The visual timeline method was used to empower women to organize and share their narratives about the sensitive and complex topic of starting a family. We conducted a thematic analysis of the audio-recorded interview data, using researchers’ field notes and reflections to provide context for our understanding of the benefits of using timelines and to understand the process of using visual timelines during telephone interviews. Resource packs were sent to women before study participation; 11 of the 16 women completed a version of the timeline activity. Six themes were identified in the methodological data analysis: (1) use and adaptation of the timeline tool, (2) timeline exchange, (3) framing the interview: emphasizing that women are in control, (4) jumping straight in, (5) taking a lead, and (6) disclosing personal and sensitive experiences. The use of visual timelines facilitated interviewee control and elicited rich narratives of participants’ experiences in telephone interviews. Women created their visual timelines autonomously and retained ownership of their timeline data; these features of the data generation process need to be considered when using visual timelines in telephone rather than face-to-face interviews. Use of visual methods within telephone interviews is feasible, can generate rich data, and should be further explored in a wider range of settings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Visual Timelines in Telephone Interviews: Reflections and Lessons Learned From the Star Family Study

Pell

Williams

Phillips

et al. 2020

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

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“…Instead, it should be acknowledged that the experiences of women are shaped not just by gender but also by other social categories. Intersecting different identities with gender can open productive spaces for understanding and exploring, and may offer women opportunities to assert various identity features (Johnson, 2018). It is the field setting that determines what key attributes of the researcher are most important and emphasising these advantageous attributes can provide useful ways to build rapport with participants (Mazzei and O'Brien, 2009).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This was also acknowledged across various conversations, including one with a security guard, outside the football venue, who questioned my presence saying I was 'too young to be a veteran' (fieldwork notes), and another with some of the veteran participants who suggested 'I don't look like a typical veteran … due to my age, being a lot younger than they might anticipate, and being female' (fieldwork notes). This presented a tension which I, as a female ethnographer, had to negotiate through additional labour to achieve some degree of insider status, recognising that outsider positions are less desirable and lack credibility (Johnson, 2018). This additional labour occurred through the management of unforeseen events, and using these instances to shift my role in research interactions and thereby minimise my outsider status.…”

Section: Managing Unforeseen Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conducting ethnographic research in male-dominated environments: Reflections of a(n) (emotional) female researcher

O’Hanlon,

Mackintosh,

Holmes

et al. 2023

Qualitative Research

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This article contributes to the field of qualitative research by shining a light on the additional and invisible work demanded of female ethnographers undertaking research in male-dominated spaces. It draws on an 18-month ethnographic study exploring the potential of sport and physical activity as a tool to support the transition of male veterans from the military into civilian life. Previous literature has explored the experiences of female ethnographers, hinting at some of this additional necessary work. This study builds upon this, to highlight the invisible and additional management processes required of female ethnographers in male-dominated spaces, including the management of events, managing image and gender performance and the multi-layered demands of managing emotions. This article argues that a greater degree of effort and labour is demanded of female ethnographers, which should be acknowledged in academic writing alongside the provision of support when entering male-dominated research spaces.

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“…They have utilized this position to bring further nuance and complexity to the discussion of trans-inclusive reproductive health practices by focusing on the history of trans medical struggles broadly and reproductive justice specifically. Positioning trans IOs as leaders in researching their communities harnesses the deep embodiment of the subject matter, which is facilitated by IO status (Johnson, 2018). This embodiment brings together all the positive elements of IO research discussed previously: easier access to communities, deeper rapport, more direct pathways to trust-building, a significant sense of accountability, a more collaborative approach to knowledge building, and ultimately the production of knowledge, which is more likely to aid the community and result in creating useful resources on the subject.…”

Section: The Insider-outsider Research Staircasementioning

confidence: 99%

‘A point of reference’: the insider/outsider research staircase and transgender people’s experiences of participating in trans-led research

Rosenberg

Tilley

2020

Qualitative Research

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Transgender (heretofore shortened to ‘trans’) people remain largely excluded from involvement and leadership in the research conducted with their communities. As a result, few trans insiders (i.e. trans people who are also researchers) are ever in the position of designing, conducting, and disseminating knowledge from trans research. As such, social narratives of trans experiences are often inaccurate, lacking nuance, or directly damaging. This paper argues that insider–outsider IO research exists on a value ‘staircase’, moving from no involvement to full leadership. Using this staircase model, the researchers suggest that elevating and empowering trans people to consult in, conduct, and lead trans research benefits both the trans and research communities. Meaningful trans involvement in research provides more in-depth data, builds more constructive rapport with community members, and produces more effective research than the norm of purely outsider research in the field. The paper then details the results from a study of 6 trans women’s experience of undergoing IO-led trans research, with Shoshana as the main researcher and interviewer. The study identified three main themes: ‘The Impact of Trans-Led Research,’ ‘Constructive Approaches to the Research Process,’ and ‘Community-Controlled Narratives as a Priority’. This paper concludes that IO-led research facilitates an empowering research process for participants, communities, and researchers, and that future research in the area should consider trans representation and control as a priority.

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Women in the field: Positioning, troubling, and (em)bodying researcher identities in international and comparative education

Cited by 4 publications

References 49 publications

Using Visual Timelines in Telephone Interviews: Reflections and Lessons Learned From the Star Family Study

Using Visual Timelines in Telephone Interviews: Reflections and Lessons Learned From the Star Family Study

Conducting ethnographic research in male-dominated environments: Reflections of a(n) (emotional) female researcher

‘A point of reference’: the insider/outsider research staircase and transgender people’s experiences of participating in trans-led research

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