“Doing death”: Reflecting on the researcher’s subjectivity and emotions

ABSTRACT

Given that death is a universal concept, the idea that a researcher must be objective when studying this topic is common place and problematic. Thus, this article adds to the literature by discussing the complexity of subjectivity within death studies. Three key elements of subjectivity form the basis of this discussion: (a) the researcher’s cultural background, (b) the researcher’s personal experiences, and (c) the emotional impact of research on the researcher. It is argued that transparency about the subjective nature of death studies research can be fruitful in understanding the research process before, during, and after fieldwork.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Kate Woodthorpe for her support and feedback in writing this article. I would also like to thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. Lastly, I would like to thank my participants for volunteering in taking part in this project.

Notes

¹Interestingly Pool’s (2000) research on euthanasia in the Netherlands was undertaken when this was still illegal.

²See http://www.dyingmatters.org/

³In my institution a doctoral student has to go through a confirmation process in which it is determined whether the research is on the right level for a PhD or whether the student can complete a MPhil. Documents for this have to be submitted within a year of starting a doctorate and not submitting on time will be considered as a failure of the first attempt.

⁴It is common to recruit via friends when researching vulnerable, difficult to reach groups (see Browne, 2005).