Interviewing as Becoming: Diffractive Analysis of Interviews With South Korean Adolescents on Race and Racism

• Published in: International journal of qualitative methods 2024-10, Vol.23
• Main Authors: Kang, Jiyoung, Park, Jiae
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Data collection; Humans; Interviews; Race; Racism
• ISSN: 1609-4069; 1609-4069
• DOI: 10.1177/16094069241294041

Revisiting task-based interviews from 2016, the authors explore the complexities of doing interviews with a particular emphasis on racial and ethnic issues among South Korean adolescents. The study shows that such interviews can go beyond simple information collection, transforming into an educational experience that addresses often-overlooked issues. Reanalyzing these interview experiences through the lens of Karen Barad’s theory of agential realism, the study illuminates the entanglement of all agencies involved and their collaborative becoming during interviews. By reading diffractively past interview transcripts with this perspective, this study offers new insights into the interview process, highlighting the dynamic intra-actions between human and non-human agents. This viewpoint contests the conventional belief that only humans play an active role in research and challenges the traditional notion of interviews merely serving as data collection tools for the researcher. Consequently, the study highlights the importance of researchers being sensitive and open while navigating the diffraction in intra-actions that are inherent in qualitative interviews.