Moments of discomfort: rethinking reflexivity and researcher subjectivities through affect and poststructuralism

Carr, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6772-958X (2025) Moments of discomfort: rethinking reflexivity and researcher subjectivities through affect and poststructuralism. Gender, Work & Organization. ISSN 1468-0432 doi: 10.1111/gwao.70057

Abstract/Summary

This article examines how discomfort, as an embodied and affective experience, can be theorised through poststructuralist reflexivity to deepen feminist understandings of researcher subjectivity and power in qualitative research. I present two vignettes as illustrative of moments of discomfort conducting research ‘in the field’ which I argue create a sense of unease when shifting subjectivities and regimes of power become more visible. I draw on affective methodologies and poststructural analysis to present a methodology of discomfort. The article offers two contributions: first, it introduces a dual-framework approach that combines affective analysis with poststructural discourse to explore researcher subjectivity and power dynamics. Second, the article provides empirical insights into how moments of discomfort can serve as critical junctures for reflexive inquiry, enriching feminist methodologies in qualitative research.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/125316
Identification Number/DOI	10.1111/gwao.70057
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Henley Business School > International Business and Strategy
Publisher	Wiley
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item