Young Leftist Women in Armenia: Exploring Political Subjectivity through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

Drawing on scholarship in the phenomenology of emotions, this paper explores what motivates young women in contemporary Armenia to adopt left-wing subjectivity, embracing leftism as a political conviction and emotional practice. The article analyzes data from four focus groups (implemented together with Caucasus Research Resource Center, CRRC Armenia) and individual interviews (conducted by the researcher) in 2024 with Armenian women, aged 18 to 29, based in Yerevan, who self-identify as left-wing. Using the thematic approach of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the study explores four factors influencing the women’s subjective motivations: political events, family memories, mobility experiences, and gendered interpersonal relationships. The study also delves into participants' specific understanding of 'left-wing' in the Armenian context. The data gathered and evaluated so far indicates differences between the different age groups with, for instance, the youngest participants reporting vividly on the 2020 and 2023 wars (translating these as 'disappointment', and 'despair') whereas the elder participants mentioning more experiences of social mobilization in the 2010s (translating these as 'hope', 'compassion' and 'noise'). Some participants report that supportive fathers who recognized the women’s individual abilities in their childhood and teenage years were crucial in shaping their political convictions. Interpersonal gender dynamics also play a role, with participants describing both frustrating interactions with men and empowering relationships with other left-wing women in Armenia. This article wants to contribute to the emerging scholarship on the phenomenology of emotions and women’s political experiences in war and post-conflict contexts. Methodologically, it highlights the value of combining focus groups and individual interviews in phenomenological research.