Deep reflexivity in tourism research

Abstract

Reflexivity has come to be accepted as standard methodological practice in qualitative tourism research, enabling researchers to reflect on how their subjectivity inevitably impacts on their work. However, reflexive accounts vary enormously from intimate, in-depth explorations to more modest reflexive disclosure statements, which are usually relegated to ‘safe’ spaces in the text such as the methodology section. Additionally, there is an implicit assumption in tourism studies that, while reflexivity is to be encouraged, some information is too private or embarrassing to be shared publicly. I introduce the notion of deep reflexivity, a radical approach to positionality and intersectionality developed by psychosocial researchers. Deep reflexivity implies that reflexive practice should be extended to include critical reflections on the researcher’s emotions, embodiment and unconscious processes that may impact on research. Such information can be accessed through introspection, the interpretation of fantasies, or even dream analysis. This approach is particularly applicable to psychological interview-based research in tourism, but I argue that it has wider relevance and potential. Deep reflexivity in practice is illustrated by sharing a personal account of conducting fieldwork in a volunteer tourism setting in Kenya and I reflect on the challenges that this form of reflexivity presents in terms of ethics, professional integrity, and methodological accuracy. I conclude by arguing that psychosocial studies and the concept of deep reflexivity present a promising avenue for methodological disruption and advancement in critical tourism research.