An Exploration of Practical Reflexivity: Navigating Categories in Research Encounters

In this article I explore the potential of practical reflexivity of handling categories applied by social researchers, drawing on my ongoing doctoral project in which I employ a qualitative ethnographic approach. By integrating various ways of perceiving reflexivity, including migration studies, res...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forum, qualitative social research Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 227 - 250
Main Author: Röhm, Mona
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Berlin Freie Universität Berlin 01.09.2024
FQS
Subjects:
categorization
Classification
Ethnography
Feminism
Feminist theory
Graduate studies
Intimacy
intimate relationships
intime Beziehungen
Kategorie
Marginality
Marriage
Migration
migration studies
Minority groups
Political factors
practical reflexivity
praxisorientierte Reflexivität
qualitative research
race and ethnicity
reflexive categories
reflexive Kategorien
Reflexivity
ISSN:1438-5627, 1438-5627
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In this article I explore the potential of practical reflexivity of handling categories applied by social researchers, drawing on my ongoing doctoral project in which I employ a qualitative ethnographic approach. By integrating various ways of perceiving reflexivity, including migration studies, research on intimate relationships, and feminist theory, I demonstrate ways to view research settings as encounters that enable dialogue and an atmosphere of listening. Two categories, Afghan and marriage, which emerged as significantly multifaceted in my doctoral project serve as examples for this exploration of practical reflexivity. I illustrate the impact of individuals' perception of being seen as Afghan in a broader societal and political context, and I show the opportunity to reflect on the category of marriage during interview settings using dialogue with interlocutors. By establishing practical ways to incorporate reflexivity, I contribute to the growing research field of intimate relationships in a migration context, where a critical stance towards categories is infrequently employed. This also contributes to the field of applied reflexivity in migration studies. I argue that an unreflexive use of categories may lead to the reproduction of discriminatory practices and Eurocentrism, and that scholars, especially when working with marginalized groups, must assume the responsibility of questioning categories often taken for granted.
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ISSN:1438-5627
1438-5627
DOI:10.17169/fqs-25.3.4218