What is the influence, if any, of emotion on modes of reflexivity? - a longitudinal study involving the participation of Business and Management doctoral students
The purpose of this research is to identify the influence of emotion on Margaret Archer's 'Modes of Reflexivity' (2003, 2007, 2012). As such, the study scrutinises, critiques and utilises as a framework for analysis, the behaviours and perspectives identified by Margaret Archer in her modes of reflexivity research. The philosophical approach adopted includes a predominantly sociological social constructionist ontology and epistemology.
The context within which this study is set is the UK higher education environment, and specifically within Business and Management doctoral study. The twelve research participants involved in this study were all working towards the completion of either part-time or full-time doctorates over the fifteen month data collection period.
At the heart of this research is the consideration of 'emotional reflexivity' (Burkitt, 2012; Holmes, 2015) and its potential relevance within Archer's modes of reflexivity research. In a bid to address these theorists' positions and their claims that considerations of emotion are largely missing from Archer's work, this research aims to make explicit the relationship between emotion and reflexivity specifically within Archer's modes. Attention is paid to when and how emotion is involved in the reflexive deliberations of the participants involved in this study
