Applying intersectionality as a method

Abstract

This thesis aims to answer the question of what it means to conduct feminist and intersectional qualitative research and how to do so. My experiences during my internship at FNV Vrouw and the difficulties I encountered there provided me with the opportunity to point out the challenges that this type of research poses. In this thesis, I argue that the blockages I experienced are all linked to what I describe as the friction of feminist objectivity. How can one do justice to the voices of a group without speaking for them? And how can one generalise the claims emerging from the group while also doing justice to the particular? These questions are linked to a core question for feminist researchers: How do I account for my role as a researcher? In this thesis I address these questions and I argue that conducting feminist and intersectional qualitative research is a challenge that can be undertaken if the researcher pays enough attention to ensuring to be accountable for their research and the knowledge that is produced, through extensive reflections on all parts of the research process.