Can queer performance-based research provide insights that are inaccessible through conventional methodologies, and how should ethics guide such work?
The term "queer" refers to individuals whose gender identity or sexual orientation deviates from societal norms. Queer studies is an interdisciplinary field focusing on LGBTQIA+ issues, including queer theory, history, politics, art, literature, and culture. It emphasizes critical analysis, activism, and challenging oppression based on sexuality and gender. Performance-based research involves observing behaviors, actions, reactions, emotions, thoughts, and feelings during performances. These may be experiments, simulations, roleplays, interviews, questionnaires, or surveys using performance methods.
Participants could act out scenarios involving coming out to family members or navigating public restrooms. Such research can reveal unspoken attitudes and beliefs, as people may feel more comfortable expressing themselves nonverbally than verbally.
This approach has drawbacks. Participants may become self-conscious and performative rather than authentic. They may also feel judged or objectified by researchers who observe them closely. Ethical concerns include consent, confidentiality, privacy, exploitation, coercion, manipulation, and harm. To address these concerns, researchers must follow guidelines for informed consent, minimize invasiveness, respect autonomy, protect privacy, avoid deception, ensure safety, and refrain from judgment. Researchers should clarify the purpose of their research, its potential risks, benefits, and impact. They must obtain informed consent in writing, explain data collection, storage, sharing, and destruction protocols, and maintain confidentiality unless required by law. Participants may refuse participation at any time without penalty.
Researchers must consider how they will use the results and whether they require further anonymization or pseudonymization to protect subjects' identities.
Performance-based research can provide insights that conventional methodologies cannot. It allows researchers to explore complex topics and emotional responses, such as intimacy, eroticism, sexual desire, and gender expression. This information is often difficult to capture through surveys, interviews, or other traditional methods due to social norms around sex and gender.
Asking participants about their experiences with dating apps may elicit societally acceptable answers, but performance-based research could reveal more nuanced patterns and behaviors.
Using unconventional methods raises ethical questions. Researchers must carefully balance the need for knowledge against potential harms to participants. They must prioritize safety, privacy, and consent while ensuring that their work contributes valuable insights into queer culture, identity, and relationships.