Theorizing Qualitative Interviews: Two Autoethnographic Reconstructions.

Abstract

The present study takes a reflexive approach to the analysis of coordinated identity work in qualitative interviews in 2 study abroad (SA) contexts, Argentina and Germany. To do this, the authors bring together 2 autoethnographic projects and take a collaborative approach (Chang, Ngunjiri, Lapadat, 2017) to the analysis of semi-structured interviews and identity memos (Maxwell, 2013) collected in their respective SA contexts. The results of an interactionally grounded analysis show that cross-sectionally, in qualitative interviews with SA students, different facets of one researcher s national identity became relevant and were contested, affecting how she approached this topic and her participants across multiple interviews. The results also show that longitudinally, in qualitative interviews with 1 SA student over time, different facets of the other researcher s professional identity became relevant and affected how she approached particular topics with her participant over time. The findings reveal that researcher identity work and the co-constructed nature of interviews result in qualitatively different interview data (e.g., in terms of elaboration, openness, and language use) made available for analysis.