What does it mean "analysis done with emotions"?!

It seems that the starting point when talking about analysis in research is always about thoughts. Theory is considered to be developed by thoughts. But when considering the human to be both thoughts and emotions integrated how should we then present and discuss the method we used in analysis of empirical material?

I have been thinking of the very same question! Have you read Hochschild's The Managed Heart? She describes that our emotions are shaped in a way that enables us to discern between thoughts, not so much intellectually as emotionally. If you come across anything more on this I would be very interested to know - my emotions played a part in picking up on observations during my fieldwork on activism in India, and I also want to write about it as an aspect of my method.

See: https://caringlabor.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/the-managed-heart-arlie-russell-hochschild.pdf

When doing a qualitative project, the researcher should always reflect on the decisions they make throughout. It is inevitable that emotions will play a big part in how we research others and it is unethical not to consider emotions. Jennifer Mason (2002) "Qualitative Research" details the reflective process. Fiona Poland at UEA has done a lot on this too. For my own research I added affect or emotions to a conceptual framework I was using for analysis and found they had quite an effect on behaviour. I don't think you can analyse with emotion only but you cannot analyse without emotion. 

Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me. I agree with you Stephanie that we need to reflect throughout the research process. I will read your suggestions and if I come across anything of relevance I will keep in touch with you. I hope to be able to wright an article about the method I worked with and include emotions in the text as it was a part of my work to. Keep in touch! 

Hi Catharina and Arshima - 

There is a body of literature that has been grwoing rapidly over the last decade or so on  psycho-social approaches and methodologies - which I think is what you are considering. I would recommend Hollway & Jefferson's 'Doing Qualitative Research Differently' (in 2nd edn now) as a place to start. It certainly addresses the issue bringing subjective emotions into the process of data gathering and analysis. You will also find 'Researching Beneath the Surface' Eds Simon Clarke & Paull Hoggett useful for methodology, and Sara Ahmed more generally on emotion. You could also join/look up the (UK-based) Association for Psychosocial Studies - there is a good postgraduate group, a journal and lots of events. I think this would really help you. http://www.psychosocial-studies-association.org/

This might be of interest to you...

Amy Holtan, Astrid Strandbu & Sissel H. Eriksen

"When emotions count in construction of interview data" in Nordic Social Work Research pages 99-112DOI:10.1080/2156857X.2013.812043

Open access at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/2156857X.2013.812043

Cheers

This is a really good article and highlights the issue of emotion and thought - they are interconnected and both play a huge part in our research, although we try to remain objective when collecting analysing data. I think this also applies to quantitative research, despite scientists arguing the supposed objectivity. It is good that you have raised the question Catharina and as always has brought out research to raise our awareness.

Thank you Stephanie, Phoebe and Greg, your references were very insightful.

Thank´s a lot everyone for your time and effort to answer my question. I really appriciate all the references and will continue with this question further on in my research work. Hope to be able to write a article about emotions in qualitative method and will share my work with you all. If I find any good articles or answers to this we have been discussing I will share my experiences with you. so nice to know I am not the only one wondering about this. Kind regards Catharina

Look at the book Knowing How: Essays on Knowledge, Mind, and Action by John Bengson and Marc A. Moffett which offers a comprehensive tour of knowing believing understanding and relating it to how we feel. This is at the granular level. Horschild's book will explain how it happens and how the labour process conditions and extracts such behaviour. Also read C.Wolkowitz's Body's at Work.