Speakers
Abstract section 5: References
Kubota, R. (2016).
Kubota, R. (2016). The multi/plural turn, postcolonial theory, and neoliberal multiculturalism: Complicities and implications for applied linguistics. Applied linguistics, 37(4), 474–494.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (2nd ed.). Sage.
Norris, J. R., Sawyer, R. D. & Lund, D. (2012). Duoethnography: Dialogic methods for social, health, and educational research. Routledge.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
Using a duoethnographic approach, two EFL researchers conducted reflective interviews examining experiences conducting narrative and critical feminist qualitative research in Japan. Data include transcripts of conversations in which we interviewed each other, field notes, research journals, and email exchanges collected from November 2025 to January 2026. A duoethnographic approach enabled sustained dialogic reflection on positionality, power, and ethical decision-making as themes emerged over time (Norris, Sawyer, & Lund, 2012). Thematic analysis identified patterns across discussions.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
Previous research has highlighted the importance of reflexivity, emic perspectives, and ethical engagement in qualitative inquiry, particularly within feminist critical traditions. Scholars have also noted tensions between rapport and methodological rigour. Yet fewer studies examine how these issues unfold in everyday interviewing practice among SLA researchers. We address this gap by asking how feminist commitments shape woman-to-woman interviews in SLA research, what ethical dilemmas and methodological tensions arise, and how researchers can navigate them reflexively.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Preliminary findings reveal these three most salient themes and challenges: (1) persistent power relations even when conducting insider research, (2) the gap between methodological ideals and practical realities, including performative member checking, and (3) ethical tensions surrounding influence and advocacy. These challenges suggest that woman-to-woman interviewing is not merely a technical skill but an affective and relational practice shaped by context and identity. The presentation discusses implications for more realistic understandings of qualitative rigour, reflexivity, and researcher development, contributing to broader discussions of qualitative methodology in language education.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Interviewing is widely used in SLA research to give voice to lived experiences and to produce nuanced understandings of life beyond the classroom. However, the literature presents idealized practices such as neutrality, objectivity, co-construction of meaning, and member checking, which can be difficult to implement effectively in real-world research contexts (Brinkman & Kvale, 2009). Our study explores challenges of conducting woman-to-woman interviews in Japanese higher education, where gendered power relations and institutional norms shape research encounters in contextually specific ways (Kubota, 2016).
| Title | Challenges in Feminist Woman-to-Woman Interviews |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |