Unpicking the threads: Emotion as central to the theory and practice of researching violence

SynopsisPresented as an account of fieldwork in El Salvador, this article highlights the centrality of the researcher identity to the research process. The article traces the process of researching violence and gender from a feminist perspective, exploring the multiple and changing definitions of violence in the lives of both the researcher and the researched. It argues the importance of making explicit the relational and emotional dynamics of social research, examining issues such as fear, silence and subjectivity. A sustaining focus on the self-reflexivity of the researcher as author not only shapes her relationship with the research subjects, but also with the subject of violence itself.