Enacting Feminist Methodologies in Research Toward Reproductive Justice

Bibliographic Data

ID2411032
AuthorsKrista Johnston (0000-0002-4672-7622), Christiana Macdougall (0000-0002-1452-9322)
Year2021
Volume20
Publication date2021-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Qualitative Methods (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1609-4069 • E-ISSN: 1609-4069
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/16094069211016157
OpenAlexW3160770401
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited16

Reporting on the development of an ongoing qualitative research project with clients of midwifery care in New Brunswick, Canada, this article details the ways that methodology is complexly interwoven with political praxis. Working through the development of this project, this article models one way to enact politically engaged feminist research at each stage of the research process, from developing the research question, through research design, data collection, analysis, and theory generation. In the process, three core principles of feminist research methodologies are extended: co-construction of knowledge, researcher reflexivity, and reciprocal relationships in research. This research is caught up in and responds to a fraught political context where supports for reproductive healthcare are limited, and midwifery, abortion, and gender-affirming care are all framed as 'fringe' services that exceed the austerity budget of the province. Participants engaged in this study with a clear understanding of this political terrain and approached interviews as an opportunity to share their experiences, and to advocate for the continuation and expansion of midwifery and related services in the province. Through the research process, it has become evident that midwifery must be understood as part of the struggle toward reproductive justice in this province. These reflections will direct further stages of the project, including ongoing research and dissemination

Abortion · Context (archaeology · Economic Justice · Feminism · Participatory action research · Political science · Politics · Praxis · Public relations · Qualitative research · Reflexivity · Reproductive justice · Social science · Sociology · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics · Gender Studies · Law