Difficult Conversations: A Feminist Dialogue

This book explores ‘difficult conversations’ in feminist theory as an integral part of social and theoretical transformations. Focusing on intersectionality within feminist theory, the book critically addresses questions of power and difference as a central feminist concern. It presents ethical, political, social, and emotional dilemmas while negotiating difficult conversations, particularly in terms of sexuality, class, ‘race’, ethnicity and cross-identification between the researcher and researched. Topics covered include challenging cultural relativism; queer marginalisation; research and affect; and feminism and the digital realm. This book is aimed primarily at students, lecturers and researchers interested in epistemology, research methodology, gender, identity, and social theory. The interdisciplinary nature of the book is aimed at reaching the broadest possible audience, including those engaged with feminist theory, anthropology, social policy, sociology, psychology and geography.

Table of Contents:
Introduction SECTION 1: DIFFICULT KNOWLEDGE SECTION 1: DIFFICULT KNOWLEDGE 1. The gender wars and difficult conversations about trans: An interview with Meg-John Barker 2. Facing uneasiness in feminist research: the case of female genital cutting 3. Feminism and race in academia: An interview with Sandya Hewamanne 4. But you’re not defending sugar, are you? SECTION 2: GENDER, POWER AND INTIMACY 5. Difficult research effects/affects: an intersectional-discursive-material-affective look at racialised sexualisation in public advertising 6. Calling out and piling on: deliberation and difficult conversations in feminist digital social space 7. Interviewing with intimacy: negotiating vulnerability and trust in difficult conversations 8. Coexisting with uncomfortable reflexivity: feminist fieldwork abroad during the pandemic SECTION 3: GENDER, SEXUALITY AND EMBODIMENT 9. Sexing in the cities: sex, desire and sexual health of black township women who love women 10. Researching sex: gender, taboos and revealing the intimate 11. Building a community of trust: participatory applied theatre workshop techniques for difficult conversations on consent 12. Women's experiences of marital rape in Turkey: ethics, voice and difficult conversations SECTION 4: BOUNDED KNOWLEDGE 13. Lost for words: difficult conversations about ethics, reflexivity and research governance 14. Gender studies, academic purity and political relevance 15. The feminist classroom in a neoliberal university 16. Focus groups and the ‘insider researcher’; difficult conversations and intersectional complexities 17. Queering the academy