Reflexivity through positionality meetings: religion, muslims and 'non-religious' researchers

• Published in: International journal of social research methodology Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 103 - 117
• Main Authors: Kapinga, Laura, Huizinga, Rik, Shaker, Reza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 02.01.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Biographies; collective reflexivity; Comparative Analysis; deliberative reflexivity; Foreign Countries; Interdisciplinary Approach; Interdisciplinary aspects; Interpersonal Relationship; Islam; Meetings; Muslims; Perspective Taking; Philosophy; Political Attitudes; Political factors; Positionality; Qualitative research; Reflexive practice; Reflexivity; Religion; Religious Factors; Research subjects; Researchers; Self Concept; Social Attitudes; uncomfortable Reflexivity; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1364-5579; 1464-5300
• DOI: 10.1080/13645579.2020.1853876

This paper contributes to current debates on positionality by critically discussing and comparing three researchers' experiences doing research involving Muslims. We introduce positionality meetings to enhance reflexivity in qualitative research projects. Based on empirical evidence from our independent projects and the positionality meetings, this paper illustrates how efforts to understanding each other's perspectives and positions, which differ in identities and biographies, challenge our accounts of self-reflexivity. Due to their deliberative character, positionality meetings reveal new and sometimes uncomfortable insights into, for instance, insider and outsider relationships and our attitudes towards religion as a research subject in a particular political context. The paper highlights several stages of the meetings to demonstrate the deliberative practice's value throughout the collective reflexive process. Serving to an interdisciplinary audience, we encourage qualitative researchers to engage in positionality meetings. Therefore, we conclude this paper by providing recommendations on how to organise such meetings.