Sauntson, Helen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0373-1242 (2023) Reflexivity and the production of shared meanings in language and sexuality research. In: Consoli, Sal and Ganassin, Sara, (eds.) Reflexivity in Applied Linguistics: Opportunities, Challenges, and Suggestions. Routledge, pp. 171-189

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Abstract

This chapter explores and exemplifies reflexivity in the context of research on language and sexuality. The chapter focuses on empirical research which involves investigating discursive constructions of gender and sexuality identities in schools. The research project was conducted over a number of years and involved multiple data-sets – this chapter focuses solely on the element of the research which used interviews with LGBT+-identified young people as part of the broader project. Throughout the chapter, I explain how researcher reflexivity was implemented throughout the interview stage of the research process and offer suggestions as to how others may deploy a similar approach in applied linguistics research which investigates identity. More specifically, I reflect on how reflexivity became a research tool which facilitated relationship-building between researcher and participants with a particular focus on sexual orientation. A key issue which emerged during the research process was that the shared positioning of both the researcher and the participants as LGBT+ helped to produce particular kinds of knowledges about language, sexuality and schooling, many of which had been ‘unspoken’ prior to the research taking place. I exemplify this issue with examples from the interview data. Thus, as the researcher, it was important for me to reflexively examine my own sexual identity and how this shaped the phenomena under investigation. This chapter provides an analysis and critical discussion of such reflexive process.

Item Type:	Book Section
Status:	Published
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/7568

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