Abstract
This article discusses the theoretical and methodological challenges in the qualitative research of Russian diasporic homes. Its key argument is that a sense of ethnic atmosphere and domes-tic aesthetics is co-created by the researcher and the participant through their shared percep-tions of place in a process that has both advantages and limitations. Specifically, the article looks into the idea of “Russianness,” which is defined as a collection of material and sensory elements that make one feel “at home.” More importantly, this feeling of being “at (a Russian) home” and the atmospheres related to it can not only be experienced by those who live there, but also by its visitors who intuitively recognize the elements and objects of decor, and the domestic environment as being part of Russian culture. The interview situation helps to both reveal and to limit the meanings of the objects and of the stories which then constitute part of the existing atmosphere. Using examples from the previous study of Russian migrants’ homes and complemented by the researcher’s self-reflection, this article will explore the problematic nature of sensory dimension of home, and the challenges in approaching it both theoretically and methodologically. The article’s enquiry is aligned with the argument of the importance of combining different ways of learning and knowing in sociological research (Smart, 2011), and aims to engage with the research context more critically and creatively.
Highlights
In this article, my experience of studying and visiting homes 1 will be used to address several issues related to the conceptual and methodological understanding of domestic1
The purpose is to further explore the dialectics of knowledge production in the home-based interview situation by considering the roles and contributions of both the researcher and the participants in the process of attempting to conceptualize otherwise-intangible elements and dimensions of space, such as “home atmosphere” and “Russianness.” I shall start with an overview of the concepts of the “diasporic home” and the “diasporic object,” outlining their problematic natures and the complex connections to culture, and the sense of place and belonging
If we imagine a parallel universe in which, alongside the study’s participants, we have been undergoing a journey of migration that has transformed our perception of “home” and our own identity narrative and modified our relationships with our home country and sense of home, we can appreciate the transformations at play, and the role of spatial and symbolic movements in the process
Summary
PhD, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Leeds Beckett University Address: City Campus, Calverley Building, Room 914, Leeds, LS1 3HE. This article discusses the theoretical and methodological challenges in the qualitative research of Russian diasporic homes. The article looks into the idea of “Russianness,” which is defined as a collection of material and sensory elements that make one feel “at home.”. This feeling of being “at (a Russian) home” and the atmospheres related to it can be experienced by those who live there, and by its visitors who intuitively recognize the elements and objects of decor, and the domestic environment as being part of Russian culture. The article’s enquiry is aligned with the argument of the importance of combining different ways of learning and knowing in sociological research (Smart, 2011), and aims to engage with the research context more critically and creatively
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