Feminist methodology and ethics in social research with women in poverty situations

Abstract

The construction of feminist social research is a constant process of reflection and self-criticism. In this article, we systematize and defend a view on the scientific and political responsibilities involved in feminist research and propose the process of narrative interviews as a suitable methodology for research with this feminist perspective. In this process, we emphasis the pertinence and relevance of feminist ethics, understood in technical and political terms. The proposal is built from the reflective exposition experience of a qualitative research carried out with women in poverty. We seek to investigate female autonomy and challenges for breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. The survey was conducted in 2018, in six Brazilian capitals, with the participation of ninety-seven women in the Bolsa Família Program. We argue that narrative interview, with a feminist perspective, contributes to qualitative research concerned with the ethical responsibilities of the researchers.

Keywords: Qualitative methods; Feminist approach; Popular classes; Reflexivity; Interview techniques; Narrative interview.