Speaking of incest: The research interview as social justice

Abstract

This study examines the process of speaking in a research interview and how it might function as social justice. Specifically, we investigate if and how the research interview process can be transformative for adult incest survivors. Using analytic induction, we analyzed respondents’ reactions to face‐to‐face research interviews and identified three themes. The first theme, knowledge of self, includes what interviewees learned about themselves through the research interview process. The second theme, interpersonal relationships between the interviewer and interviewees, emphasizes the importance of the relationship established in the interview. The third theme, desire to create change, highlights interviewees’ expressions of hope that their participation in the research interview might affect change at a broader societal level. Theoretic and pragmatic implications of these findings are discussed.