Doing reflectivity: bridging the identity clash between being professional social worker and being a qualitative researcher

**Introduction**

Qualitative epistemology recognizes the inseparability of the KNOWER and the KNOWN. "Self-as-instrument" research necessitates self-reflexivity for ethical and authentic inquiry.

**Goals and Methods**

This presentation describes a research process where two authors mentored a third in practicing self-reflexivity. The study involved 15 semi-structured interviews with Israeli mothers (aged 21-47) known to social services since childhood due to parental neglect, exploring how these "second-generation" clients view their current relationships with social workers in the context of their family history.

**Results**

We focus on two stages:

1. Pre-research: Advancing critical reflection on dominant social work discourse, particularly regarding "multi-generational problem families".

2. Self-reflexive examination of personal emotional reactions to interviewees, embodying dominant professional culture.

Initially, the researcher experienced discomfort and internal conflict between her social worker/researcher identities. She cautiously approached questions to avoid biasing interviewees towards positive views of social workers. As interviews progressed, revealing empathy failures and injustice from social workers, the researcher felt shame and guilt.

Reflective writing after each interview promoted awareness of potential exploitation/empowerment issues and avoiding interviewee objectification. This process allowed the researcher to develop a dialectic between empathy (including sensitivity to interviewees' narratives) and her identity as an experienced social worker.

**Conclusions**

This presentation highlights the importance of combining reflection on dominant theoretical perceptions with reflection on emotional experiences during interviews. This integration facilitates transformation in qualitative researchers' self-perception, enhancing the depth and authenticity of their work.

The reflective process, beginning with critical examination of professional discourse and extending to interview interactions, enabled the researcher to navigate the complex dynamics between empathetic understanding of interviewees' experiences and her own professional identity and background.