Reflection, reflexivity, reconceptualisation: Life story inquiry and the complex positionings of a researcher

Angel Chan

doi:10.7577/rerm.2544

Abstract

This paper employs an autoethnographic approach to reflect upon my personal doctoral research journey. Methodological, ethical and social justice issues emerged from the doctoral study which used a qualitative and narrative research methodology – the life story approach – are examined in this paper, highlighting the complexity, messiness and subjectivity of this approach and the key role of reflexivity in research. The doctoral study utilised life story individual interviews conducted with ten Chinese immigrant parents to investigate their involvement in their children’s early childhood education. The participants’ stories have now become part of my life story. Personal reflections on the doctoral research journey are used as ‘findings’ – as a site for analysis by reinterpreting earlier interpretations. These reflections illuminate the importance yet complication of relationships between the researcher and participants, the fluid nature of the insider-researcher, and the complexity of meaning co-construction in qualitative and narrative research.

Highlights

Why am I doing this?After a restless exploration of possible research methodologies during my doctoral research proposal writing stage, I settled on a qualitative and narrative methodology, a life story approach, because it appealed to me as I reviewed a wide range of methodological literature
Some of the critical theoretical perspectives, such as critical multiculturalism (Chan, 2011; May & Sleeter, 2010; McLaren, 1995; Rhedding-Jones, 2010) and the politics of identity (Bhabha, 1994; Hall, 2000), that were used to conceptualise the doctoral study are again applied in this paper to analyse methodological tensions, in terms of power relations and social justice issues that emerged during data collection and interpretation
This autoethnographic reflective process has examined my personal experiences of the doctoral research journey and produced new ‘findings’ to illustrate the complexity and subjectivity of the qualitative and narrative life story approach, highlighting some of the methodological, ethical and social justice issues of this approach and the importance of reflexivity in research

Summary

Why am I doing this?

After a restless exploration of possible research methodologies during my doctoral research proposal writing stage, I settled on a qualitative and narrative methodology, a life story approach, because it appealed to me as I reviewed a wide range of methodological literature. Some of the critical theoretical perspectives, such as critical multiculturalism (Chan, 2011; May & Sleeter, 2010; McLaren, 1995; Rhedding-Jones, 2010) and the politics of identity (Bhabha, 1994; Hall, 2000), that were used to conceptualise the doctoral study are again applied in this paper to analyse methodological tensions, in terms of power relations and social justice issues that emerged during data collection and interpretation. Some of these important concerns were less visible to me as a doctoral student, since at the time I was blinded by the urgency required to complete the thesis. Establishing trusting relationships between the researcher and Chinese participants would be more likely to provide an opportunity to co-construct meaning for stories from non-dominant voices

The rare voices

Subjectivity and complexity

Research Process

Conclusion and final thoughts