Reflections on a Feminist Research Project

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Abstract
This article describes the group process in a feminist research project on resiliency in adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Memos written by members of the research team that were content analyzed independently provided the major source of data. Researchers' subjectivity, members' expectations for intimacy, and the role of power were examined. We describe how group members learned that taking the researcher's subjectivity into account affected our understanding of participant stories. The longing for intimacy created frustrations that needed to be acknowledged and processed by the group. Further tensions revolved around the feminist ideal of egalitarian relationships, which at times conflicted with the need for efficient decision making. We conclude with suggestions to aid feminist researchers in negotiating process issues.