Using ‘the body’ as an ‘instrument of research’: kimch’i and pavlova

TLDR

Research often frames investigators by race, age, and gender, yet the body itself is rarely treated as a research instrument. The study seeks to broaden this perspective by examining migrant women’s food practices in New Zealand. The authors used a shared‑lunch vignette with migrant women, where participants combined spicy kimchi and sweet pavlova, to demonstrate how bodies function as research instruments. The mixed dish elicited disgust in some participants, leading the authors to conclude that the body mediates all interactions, emotions, and geographic access in research.

Abstract

Often researchers position themselves in relation to race, age and gender, but the body is less often discussed as an actual ‘instrument of research’. We aim to extend thinking on this point by reflecting on a project we conducted on migrant women and food in New Zealand. We present a vignette as an example of how we used our bodies as ‘instruments of research’ at a ‘shared lunch’ attended by new migrants from a range of different countries. At the lunch some combined on their plates spicy dishes such as kimch’i (fermented vegetables) and sweet dishes such as pavlova (a meringue dessert). For others this combination prompted feelings of disgust. We conclude that the body is a primary tool through which all interactions and emotions filter in accessing research subjects and their geographies.