The roles of laughter in qualitative research interviews

Wood, Rachel

Abstract

‘‘Get it done’ is one of the most used sentences by my Dad (laughs)
‘Get it done, get it done babes, just got to get it done’. (both laugh)’

This session explores the roles that laughter can play in qualitative interviewing. The theme arises from my conduct of a study using narrative inquiry to explore the experience of learning law on an undergraduate LLB programme. As a novice researcher, one aspect of the interviewing process that has surprised me is the number of instances of individual and shared laughter that have occurred during the interviews I have conducted with student participants. This unexpected element has led me to reflect further as to why we were laughing during interviews, and what that laughter signified. In this session I will discuss potential interpretations, using short extracts drawn from the transcripts from my study. I suggest that paying attention to this aspect of the interview process can provide a useful way to explore wider issues involved in the qualitative interviewing process, including the role of performance in narrative interviews; the nature of uncertainty and ambiguity; and the ethical dimensions of building rapport whilst conducting insider research.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: Doctorate in Education Symposium
• Start Date: Jun 19, 2019
• End Date: Jun 19, 2019
• Deposit Date: Apr 12, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 13, 2023
• Keywords: qualitative research; research interviews; laughter
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10621325