Challenges in reflexive research into loneliness and isolation in older lesbians

Abstract

This chapter explores some of the methodological challenges of researching older lesbians that arose during the author’s MA research. It reflects on the complicated ethics where friendship exists or develops with and between participants. It also considers the benefit and limitations of shared sexual identity, or ‘insider’ status, to the participants and to the researcher and discusses the personal cost to the researcher when emotions such as empathy or guilt are provoked. The chapter draws on extracts from the author’s research diary to illustrate the complexity of the research process to illustrate how she became drawn into her participants’ social world.