Affective entanglements: mutual vulnerability in marginalized research contexts

Purpose This study aims to examine how researcher and participant vulnerabilities intersect during sensitive fieldwork. Using three introspective case studies of a junior researcher working with Syrian refugees in France, it highlights the emotional and ethical complexities of such encounters and proposes strategies to manage mutual vulnerability at individual and institutional levels. Design/methodology/approach This study builds on the first author’s reflexive field diaries from her PhD fieldwork with Syrian refugee families and, through iterative dialogues with the second author, highlights moments where mutual vulnerabilities came to light. Findings The findings reveal that mutual vulnerability manifests through three interrelated facets: corporeality, social difference and power. It extends beyond fieldwork to encompass academic hierarchies and supervisory relationships, illustrating how institutional and social dynamics intertwine to shape researchers’ and participants’ emotional, ethical and relational experiences. Originality/value This study introduces mutual vulnerability to show how both researchers and participants face shared risks in qualitative research, offering new ways to manage boundaries, ethics and emotional challenges.