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Download fileEmotions and allegiance in researching four mid 20th-century cases of women accused of murder
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.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Qualitative ResearchISSN
1741-3109Publisher
SAGE PublicationsExternal DOI
Issue
6Volume
12Page range
686-701Department affiliated with
- Sociology and Criminology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes