Getting Our Toes Wet in Affective Qualitative Methodologies
Hello Qualitative Mind,
I’m knee-deep in content creation for Qualitative Research Blueprint (QRB) –the next Quali Q online course –and recently started studying affective qualitative methodologies and embodiment theories. One of the bonuses for QRB will be led by Casey Berglund from Worthy & Well. Casey is an Embodiment Guide and Certified Professional Coach who will help QRB students learn to listen to their bodily sensations as they conduct qualitative health research. Overall, this aligns well with affective qualitative methodologies as a more recently developed strategy for asking research questions in relation to affective processes.
So what is affect? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines affect as “the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from bodily changes.” However, you will read below an excerpt from Christoffer Kølvraa’s writing in the book Affective Methodologies by Knudsen and Stage (2015) that not only defines affect differently from Merriam-Webster but also differentiates it from emotion:
“As such, Brian Massumi and Steven Shaviro both emphasize the distinction between affect and emotion, by insisting that, whereas emotions are meaningful and differentiated signifiers of affect, thus domesticated and segregated by the symbolic system (Massumi, 2002, p. 28), affect itself is ‘primary, non-conscious, asubjective or presub-jective, asignifying, unqualified and intensive’ (Shaviro, 2009, p. 3).”
Affect is hard to grasp and to define. I’d be lying to you if I told you that affective qualitative methodologies are within my expertise. They aren’t. Yet, I’m trying to learn more about them because I can see how they’re growing in ethnography and other qualitative methodologies is health research. I found Gehrardi’s (2019, p. 744) proposition rather attractive to me, as a beginner in affective qualitative methodologies, as she writes “I therefore propose to switch the question from ‘what affect is’ to ‘what affect does’ to us in ethnographic practices and to what we can do with our embodied capacity to affect and be affected.” She also talks about affective ethnography as a “style” versus a “method” that “you recognize when you see or hear it.”
Gehrardi
talks about affective ethnography as a “style” versus a “method” that “you recognize when you see or hear it.”
The main reason that I’m trying to learn more about affective methodologies is because I want to understand the role of reflexivity in affect and embodiment. How do we move through affective processes to identifying and naming emotions? What is the role of practicing reflexivity in affective qualitative research? I’m passionate about reflexivity and don’t ever want to make the mistake of teaching this practice as a checklist. I believe that I have a role in helping you to become more attuned to your body as it is affected by and affects your qualitative health research.
I know this blog post is shorter than usual, yet intense. I’d love to hear what you already know about this topic and what you’d like to hear more about. Basically, where would you like to take the next posts on this topic?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Talk soon,
Maira Quintanilha