Reflections on Positionality from a Russian Woman Interviewing Russian-Speaking Women in London

Darya Malyutina

Sociological Research Online, 2014, vol. 19, issue 4, 122-134

Abstract: This paper explores the implications of shared femininity in a qualitative study of friendship networks amongst Russian-speaking migrants in London by a Russian researcher. Drawing upon feminist literature on the complexities of women interviewing women, I outline the reflexive approach to positionality informing power relations and establishment of trust in the relationship between the researcher and the researched. The examples of interviewing a friend and two friendly strangers demonstrate the ways of negotiating mutual positions in the interaction. Shared gender is regarded as partially, but not universally, promoting rapport, taking into account the intersectionality of multiple differences between women. Considering the researcher's positionality has been presented in this paper as a means of making similarities and differences between participants useful for the critical interpretation of the work, and using its relevant aspects for building a positive, open, and more equal interaction.

Keywords: Reflexivity; Positionality; Ethnography; Women; Migrants; Friendship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socres:v:19:y:2014:i:4:p:122-134

DOI: 10.5153/sro.3475

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