Caring in qualitative interviews: A working model for interviews in the transformative paradigm

Building upon decades of feminist methodological thinking, the objective of this article is to position caring as a central defining feature of qualitative interviewing within diverse transformative research paradigms. Transformative research designs are those that organize the research process—not just the findings—to catalyze positive social change. We are motivated by the question: how do we optimize the interview interaction’s transformative potential? Specifically, we argue that caring, as an interview ethos and technique, can maximize the interview as a mutually transformative experience for both the researcher and the researched. Using two of our transformative research projects for application, we present a working model of a caring interview, which includes (1) cathexis, (2) responsiveness, and (3) epistemic justice, before, during, and after the temporal boundaries of a qualitative research interview. Cathexis is the act of investing mental and emotional energy into something and can manifest in caring interviews via authentic concern for the well-being of the researched, prolonged relationships, and preparation of interview protocol and interview experience. Responsiveness implies that the researcher must listen to and respond to the desires and needs of the researched communities. It can manifest via honoring the food, time, or location preferences of the interviewee and flexibility in the deployment of the interview protocol. Finally, epistemic justice refers to the equal valuing of individuals as knowers and can manifest in caring interviews via verbal, geographic, and organizational cues from the interviewer. This working model can be used as a planning and reflection tool for researchers invested in transformative projects. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for individual researchers and universities if they adopt this working model.