Beyond Reflexivity: Centering Recognition and Relational Dialogue in Social Inquiry

In this manuscript, we develop the concept of recognition as a methodological concept, with a particular focus on its inter-subjective dimensions. Departing from the way recognition is used in much contemporary social theory and socio-political discourse, we suggest that recognition is a foundational methodological concept, related to but transcending methodological discussions of reflexivity, and with implications for meaning and validity. We ground our discussion in empirical examples that help illustrate the principles of recognition (and of misrecognition), and how researchers can attend to these principles in their own work.