The emotional labour of gaining and maintaining access to the field
Bergman Blix, Stina LU
and Wettergren, Åsa
(2015)
In Qualitative Research
15(6).
p.688-704
- Abstract
- The role of emotions in qualitative research receives increasing attention. We argue for an activerather than a reactive approach towards emotions to improve the quality of research; emotionsare a vital source of information and researchers use emotions strategically. Analysing the emotionwork of researchers in the process of gaining, securing and maintaining access to the Swedishjudiciary, we propose that the emotion work involved is a type of emotional labour, requiredby the researcher in order to successfully collect data. The particular case of researching elitesis highlighted. Emotional labour is analysed along three dimensions: 1. Strategic emotion work– building trust outwards and self-confidence inwards; 2. Emotional reflexivity –... (More)
- The role of emotions in qualitative research receives increasing attention. We argue for an activerather than a reactive approach towards emotions to improve the quality of research; emotionsare a vital source of information and researchers use emotions strategically. Analysing the emotionwork of researchers in the process of gaining, securing and maintaining access to the Swedishjudiciary, we propose that the emotion work involved is a type of emotional labour, requiredby the researcher in order to successfully collect data. The particular case of researching elitesis highlighted. Emotional labour is analysed along three dimensions: 1. Strategic emotion work– building trust outwards and self-confidence inwards; 2. Emotional reflexivity – attentiveness toemotional signals monitoring one’s position and actions in the field; and 3. Emotion work to copewith emotive dissonance – inward-directed emotion work to deal with the potentially alienatingeffects of strategic emotion work. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- The role of emotions in qualitative research receives increasing attention. We argue for an active rather than a reactive approach towards emotions to improve the quality of research; emotions are a vital source of information and researchers use emotions strategically. Analysing the emotion work of researchers in the process of gaining, securing and maintaining access to the Swedish judiciary, we propose that the emotion work involved is a type of emotional labour, required by the researcher in order to successfully collect data. The particular case of researching elites is highlighted. Emotional labour is analysed along three dimensions: 1. Strategic emotion work – building trust outwards and self-confidence inwards; 2. Emotional... (More)
- The role of emotions in qualitative research receives increasing attention. We argue for an active rather than a reactive approach towards emotions to improve the quality of research; emotions are a vital source of information and researchers use emotions strategically. Analysing the emotion work of researchers in the process of gaining, securing and maintaining access to the Swedish judiciary, we propose that the emotion work involved is a type of emotional labour, required by the researcher in order to successfully collect data. The particular case of researching elites is highlighted. Emotional labour is analysed along three dimensions: 1. Strategic emotion work – building trust outwards and self-confidence inwards; 2. Emotional reflexivity – attentiveness to emotional signals monitoring one’s position and actions in the field; and 3. Emotion work to cope with emotive dissonance – inward-directed emotion work to deal with the potentially alienating effects of strategic emotion work. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ff3d0bd8-13bd-4f9f-a233-1a6e784cdbee
- author
- Bergman Blix, Stina
LU
and Wettergren, Åsa
- publishing date
- 2015
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- access, elite research, emotive dissonance, emotional labour, judiciary, qualitative methods, Sociology, Sociologi, access, elite research, emotive dissonance, emotional labour, judiciary, qualitative methods
- in
- Qualitative Research
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 6
- pages
- 17 pages
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84946920558
- ISSN
- 1468-7941
- DOI
- 10.1177/1468794114561348
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- 2017-11-13T21:28:49.277+01:00
- id
- ff3d0bd8-13bd-4f9f-a233-1a6e784cdbee
- date added to LUP
- 2026-01-27 14:09:16
- date last changed
- 2026-01-29 09:25:51
@article{ff3d0bd8-13bd-4f9f-a233-1a6e784cdbee,
abstract = {{The role of emotions in qualitative research receives increasing attention. We argue for an activerather than a reactive approach towards emotions to improve the quality of research; emotionsare a vital source of information and researchers use emotions strategically. Analysing the emotionwork of researchers in the process of gaining, securing and maintaining access to the Swedishjudiciary, we propose that the emotion work involved is a type of emotional labour, requiredby the researcher in order to successfully collect data. The particular case of researching elitesis highlighted. Emotional labour is analysed along three dimensions: 1. Strategic emotion work– building trust outwards and self-confidence inwards; 2. Emotional reflexivity – attentiveness toemotional signals monitoring one’s position and actions in the field; and 3. Emotion work to copewith emotive dissonance – inward-directed emotion work to deal with the potentially alienatingeffects of strategic emotion work.}},
author = {{Bergman Blix, Stina and Wettergren, Åsa}},
issn = {{1468-7941}},
keywords = {{access; elite research; emotive dissonance; emotional labour; judiciary; qualitative methods; Sociology; Sociologi; access, elite research, emotive dissonance, emotional labour, judiciary, qualitative methods}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{688--704}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Qualitative Research}},
title = {{The emotional labour of gaining and maintaining access to the field}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1468794114561348}},
doi = {{10.1177/1468794114561348}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2015}},
}