Seal, Lizzie (2012) Emotions and allegiance in researching four mid 20th-century cases of women accused of murder. Qualitative Research, 12 (6). pp. 686-701. ISSN 1741-3109

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Abstract

This article examines methodological issues of emotion and allegiance in relation to researching, from archival sources, gender representation in mid-20th-century cases of women accused of murder. Through a discussion of four women’s cases, I explore this as a deeply ambivalent experience because the research induced both empathic and negative feelings towards the women. This seemed to conflict with my aims as a feminist researcher to highlight derogatory constructions of gender in the criminal justice system. I argue that a reflexive approach is necessary in order to carry out sensitive archival research and conclude that negotiating the attendant ambivalence and complexity deepens ethical engagement.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Law, Politics and Sociology > Sociology and Criminology
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > HM0481 Theory. Method. Relations to other subjects H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Depositing User:	Lizzie Seal
Date Deposited:	08 Nov 2012 15:05
Last Modified:	20 May 2013 15:19
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/41450

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