Voiced and Unvoiced

Atkinson, Paul. (1999). Sociology, 33 (1), 191-197.

In his review essay about recent literature on voice, Atkinson wrote:

"There has been an upsurge of empirical, methodological and reflective writing on biographical approaches to social research. They have received fresh legitimation from a variety of contemporary standpoints -- feminist, post-structuralist and postcolonialist among them. Indeed, the celebration of multiple 'voices' to be found in much of the literature parallels the multiplicity of epistemological 'positions' to be found in contemporary social research" (p. 191)

In particular, looking at "Reflexivity and Voice" edited by Rosanna Hertz, Atkinson states that reflexivity and voice are twin themes. He writes, "Reflexivity is itself a polyvalent term, much used and much abused in different contexts" (p. 192). In Hertz's own treatment, Atkinson argues, reflexivity is a feature of research and writing. In further articulation:

"Reflexivity thus traverses the personal and political sources of identity -- gender, ethnicity and class among them. Here it is intended to capture not merely the self-absorption of the researcher, but also the complexities of difference and identity between researchers/authors, their informants/hosts and the audiences for research-based texts." (p. 192-193)