The body of the researcher: producing emotional knowledge through situated bodily dialogue

This paper engages with the body of the researcher to explore emotions in ethnographic educational research. Juxtaposing two ethnographic projects, it establishes a dialogical reflection between researchers to engage with non-conscious aspects of their experiences. This study looks at field notes from research on social inequalities in primary and secondary school classrooms in England and Germany through a collaborative and reflexive exchange, termed bodily dialogue. The researchers share field notes and re-narrate classroom experiences, emphasising uncomfortable emotions experienced in the field, while listening to and analysing each other's accounts. This performative, dialogic approach aims to enrich scientific debates by integrating shared reflection through and with the body. The analysis highlights the complexities of power dynamics in classrooms, challenging the researcher's initial assumptions and fostering a more nuanced understanding of emotional and relational aspects in educational settings and of educational research itself.