Shaping Knowledge through Emotional Bonds: Insights from Human-Pet-Object Fieldwork

In the sociological studies of emotions, there remains a gap in understanding how emotional bonds between researchers and participants shape the epistemological standing of the knowledge produced. In other words, few studies discuss how emotions generated in the fieldwork participate in the process of shaping knowledge and theorizing work. Inspired by Ezzy's (2010) emphasis on the co-construction of emotions between researchers and interviewees, and the explorations of emotional agency and reflexivity by Mary Holmes et al. (2024), this presentation draws interviews and field notes from my doctoral research on human-pet-object relationships. Using an autoethnographic approach, I reflect on the emotional interactions, flows, and influences between myself and the participants in my fieldwork, including bodily expressions, spoken words, actions, and gestures. The aim is to explore how these emotions shape the narratives told during the interviews and how they are transformed into texts. Emotional bonds between participants and researchers can be conveyed through tears, smiles, or even the expression of pain in a calm tone. These bonds do not exist only in isolated moments of interaction; they accumulate, iterate and evolve, weaving through the entire fieldwork process and influencing the navigation of the research. By foregrounding the emotions of fieldwork, this presentation seeks to demonstrate that emotions are not peripheral but integral to the research process, becoming academic texts to shape the production of knowledge and theorizing work. While the study is ongoing, it aims to contribute to broader discussions about how emotions are essential components of knowledge and theory formation, beyond their role as ethical considerations.