Using reflexivity journaling to lessen the emic–etic divide in a qualitative study of Ethiopian immigrant women

Abstract

This article explores the use of journaling about reflexivity as a method of lessening the etic–emic divide in a cross-cultural qualitative study. The journaling process discussed demonstrates reflexivity as personal introspection, social critique, and biography in a study of 14 women who immigrated from Ethiopia to the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The author conducted face-to-face interviews and intentionally journaled about her reflections as she recruited participants and conducted interviews over a one-year period of time. The reflexivity journal process highlighted both similarities and differences between the researcher and participants.