Emotion and allegiance in researching four mid- 20th-century cases of women accused of murder

Abstract

This article examines methodological issues of emotion and allegiance in relation to researching, from archival sources, gender representation in mid-20th-century cases of women accused of murder. Through a discussion of four women’s cases, I explore this as a deeply ambivalent experience because the research induced both empathic and negative feelings towards the women. This seemed to conflict with my aims as a feminist researcher to highlight derogatory constructions of gender in the criminal justice system. I argue that a reflexive approach is necessary in order to carry out sensitive archival research and conclude that negotiating the attendant ambivalence and complexity deepens ethical engagement.