Negotiating the swamp: the opportunity and challenge of reflexivity in research practice

Abstract

A B S T R AC T How should researchers reflexively evaluate ways in which intersubjective elements transform their research? The process of engaging in reflexivity is full of muddy ambiguity and multiple trails as researchers negotiate the swamp of interminable deconstructions, self analysis and self disclosure. This article examines how researcher-explorers from a range of research traditions have negotiated this swamp in practice, by drawing on examples of their reflexive experience. 'Maps' are offered on five variants of reflexivity, namely: (i) introspection; (ii) intersubjective reflection; (iii) mutual collaboration; (iv) social critique; and (v) discursive deconstruction. The diversity of practice suggests competing, though also overlapping, accounts of the rationale and practice of reflexivity. In a critical celebration of the richness of reflexivity, this article aims to demonstrate how each way of approaching reflexivity offers different opportunities and challenges. It is hoped that the maps provided will enable researcher-explorers to choose their preferred route through the swamp. The discussion section, along with a 'meta-reflexive voice' threaded throughout, highlights the critical issues at stake when attempting reflexive analysis in practice. K E Y W O R D S : critical analysis, intersubjectivity, methodological evaluation, reflection, reflexivity, researcher's experienceWithout some degree of reflexivity any research is blind and without purpose. (Flood, 1999: 35) Prologue: evolving reflexivity Reflexivity in qualitative research -where researchers engage in explicit selfaware meta-analysis -has a long history spanning at least a century. It has moved from introspection towards critical realist and subjectivist accounts,A RT I C L E 2 0 9 Q R Negotiating the swamp: the opportunity and challenge of reflexivity in research practice Qualitative Research Downloaded from and more recently towards highlighting the socio-political, post-modern context through deconstructing the research encounter. Although not always referred to explicitly as reflexivity, the project of examining how the researcher and intersubjective elements impinge on, and even transform, research, has been an important part of the evolution of qualitative research. Critical self-reflexive methodologies have evolved across different qualitative research fields in a story of turns and shifts.

Returning to the source: Reflexivity and transformation in understanding a humanising pedagogy

“…In this phase, Finlay (2002) claimed that "the researcher moves beyond 'benign introspection' to become more explicit about the line between knowledge claims, personal experiences, and social contexts" (citing Woolgar, 1988, p. 22). Mutual meanings then began to emerge as the authors revisited the themed drawings and the Abakhwezeli small and large group discussions that had been transcribed.…”

“…The primary evidence when embarking on introspection is one's "own reflecting, intuiting and thinking" (Finlay, 2002, p. 213 with reference to Moustakas, 1994.…”

“…A number of prompts were used to stimulate introspection and interpersonal reflection amongst the authors as they revisited their drawings and the conversations in Phase 1. These included using Finlay's (2002) typology as a framework. The prompts used for the introspection phase were as follows:…”

“…Finlay (2002, p. 212) offered a typology of five variants of reflexivity, namely, "introspection, intersubjective reflection, mutual collaboration, social critique and discursive deconstruction." Reflexivity as introspection is not easy because it require of individuals to "embrace their own humanness as the basis for psychological understanding" (Finlay, 2002, p. 213 with reference to Walsh, 1995.…”

“…Zuber-Skerritt (2011, p. 62, with reference to Kemmis, 2010) eloquently stated that, "research for praxis is only useful if it is conducted not by external specialists researchers 'on the sidelines' but by those whose individual and collective praxis is both their proper work and the focus of their critical investigation." In order to work towards praxis-related research with a view to establish and extend shared understandings of a humanising pedagogy, the conceptual framework upon which this study is based relates to reflexivity-reflexivity that embraces introspection, intersubjective reflection, mutual collaboration, social critique of our context (Finlay, 2002), and transformative learning (Mezirow, 1997). These concepts, and how they are interlinked, are explained in detail in the conceptual framework section that follows.…”