Bringing polyphony one step further: Relational narratives of women from the position of difference

SynopsisIn this article I explore the findings of a narrative research project which created space for polyphony and shared authorship. This project is part of my long-time desire to engage with polyphonic writing as part of my academic work. In the beginning, experimental and feminist anthropology was the primary influence on my approach to polyphony. That approach was somewhat limited by the positioning of myself as the researcher. In this project, I tried to bring this experience one step further by sharing authorship with 15 women who participated in an intensive group interaction and writing class on biographies that I organized with a colleague. I explore the achievements and the challenges that arose from this experiment and show how it enabled three levels of polyphony: 1) producing relational multiple narratives; 2) sharing the power of authorship; and 3) providing agency and alternative voices to counter the dominant discourse.