Intersectional reflexivity and an uncomfortable account of researcher privilege

This article responds to a dearth of writing on intersectional reflexivity in organisational ethnography and in Management and Organisation studies. Intersectional reflexivity, used as a methodological tool and a theoretical framing for this article, combines the fundamentals of intersectional feminist theory and reflexive strategy in qualitative research. Although rooted in feminist thought, this approach, while inclusive of gendered considerations, also reflects on other identities of both the researcher and researched that have an impact in the field and ultimately on the outputs and conclusions that are drawn. The article draws on personal experiences of ethnographic research at a UK food bank, exploring the inequalities that culminate here particularly as a researcher occupying multiple relative privileged identities namely class and education. The focus on the notion of intersectional reflexivity as a methodological trope allows the article to explore inequalities that can be present in the research process, additional to considerations that can be made to minimise them. The key contributions of the papers include the role that discomfort, empowerment and care play in ethnographic research, particularly among marginalised participants, and how reflections on these can lead to more ethical and insightful research.