Erotic Ethnography: Sex, Spirituality, and Embodiment in Qualitative Research

Abstract

Qualitative methods training in sociology often warns of the dangers of sex in fieldwork and discounts the power of the erotic for knowledge production. This essay makes a case for a deeper engagement with the erotic in qualitative research. The erotic is an ineffable energy that connects us to one another on a sensual, spiritual, and political plane. Despite its scope, the erotic is typically reduced to sexual intimacy. This limitation maintains the idea that all erotic encounters during ethnographic research are sexual and potentially harmful, discounting the possibilities of pleasure and mutual exchange. Through a meditation on key eroticized moments from ethnographic research for various projects, the author examines how an embrace of erotic ethnography can produce more ethical, mindful, and human-centered approaches to doing qualitative research. A deeper engagement with the erotic creates greater opportunity for mutual exchange and reduces instances of exploitation and extraction during ethnographic research.