Feeling the Field: An Exploration of a Multisensory Positionality in Migration Research

This article, based on three research vignettes featuring methodological reflections from the visual and multisensory research on international migrations conducted in Norway and Poland, introduces the concept of multisensory positionality. Grounded in the theoretical discussions around positionality developed in migration studies, and supported by the sensuous scholarship, multisensory positionality is a holistic, intersectional approach that recognizes the body and senses as crucial aspects of positionality for both the researcher and participants. The article highlights how these embodied experiences actively shape the negotiation of meaning between people and spaces, both in the research situation and as part of a migration experience. As an analytical concept, multisensory positionality addresses the opportunities and limitations arising from the embodied, multisensory experiences of research participants. It bridges migration and sensory studies by situating the sensory aspects of people’s identities within their broader life-worlds, including the impact of structures and power relations.