Affectionate Research

Abstract

This paper delves into the dynamic relationship between research and the researcher within Kurdish Studies, focusing on emotions, responsibility, and solidarity. Drawing from personal experiences and employing decolonial intersectional feminist methodologies, the author presents their research on state violence and resistance in Kurdish cinema. Through this exploration, the paper underscores the pressing need for intersectional queer-feminist research within Kurdish Studies and elucidates the connection between theoretical and methodological choices and the author’s personal experiences in academia and activism. Additionally, the paper discusses applying feminist intersectional approaches as a methodological lens and emphasises their benefits in understanding positionality and shifting subject positions. By highlighting the imperative for critical reflexivity and diversification of onto-epistemological methods in the field of Kurdish Studies, this paper advocates for a transformative and inclusive approach to knowledge production.