City Research Online

Abstract

Doing ‘focus group’ research with young East and Southeast Asian people on the racialised politics of belonging in Britain reveals rich and complex dynamics of vulnerability and resilience. Inviting young people to share their views and reflect upon their experiences as racially minoritised and underrepresented groups in Britain often entails the sharing of sensitive life stories. This includes the divulging of biographical traumas but also the joyful discovery of shared commonalities, differences, humour and mutual empathy. This chapter reframes focus groups as deep collective and (sometimes) collaborative conversations to explore both their empowering and disempowering potential as a forum for sharing biographical experience. We argue that these collective conversations, when collaborative, can provide opportunities for overcoming vulnerabilities through listening to shared experience, developing solidarity with others and de-individualising experiences of racism. However, they can also generate discomfort when differences between participants and facilitators are too great or too small or where power dynamics are too asymmetrical. In these situations, participants use ‘protective silences’ to shield themselves from sharing vulnerabilities and experiencing potential retraumatisation, and the collective conversations fail to be collaborative.

Publication Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	This is a post-peer-review, pre-copy edited version of a chapter published in Biographical Research and New Social Architectures Challenges and Opportunities for Creative Applications across Europe. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Yeh, D. & Barber, T. (2024). Reframing focus groups as deep collective and (sometimes) collaborative conversations: biographical vulnerabilities, anti-racist East and Southeast Asian solidarities and protective silences. In: Nurse, L., O'Neill, M. & Moran, L. (Eds.), Biographical Research and New Social ArchitecturesChallenges and Opportunities for Creative Applications across Europe. (pp. 141-161). Bristol, UK: Policy Press, is available online at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/biographical-research-and-new-social-architectures
Publisher Keywords:	East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) category, focus groups as collective, collaborative conversations, shared commonalities, mutual empathy, interracial caring, protective silences, de-individualising racism
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Departments:	School of Communication & Creativity School of Communication & Creativity > Media, Culture & Creative Industries
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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