Paper Short Abstract:

Drawing on my research with factory workers, I will highlight a key aspect of the research process: While I initially hypothesized the presence of a feminist desire aligned with the 1970s "Wages against Housework" campaign, my findings revealed instead a retronormative longing for a return to the male breadwinner model. Building on this conservative turn, I will advocate for a critical reflection on how we conceptualize solidarity with our research fields.

Paper Abstract:

In my presentation, I aim to outline the trajectory of a research process. At the outset, I formulated a hypothesis based on a few interviews with former colleagues from a factory where I had worked part-time. I proposed that the demands of mothers working in factories, shaped by their challenge of balancing the productive and reproductive spheres, could align with the 1970s ‘Wages against Housework’ campaign. I believed I had identified a feminist desire with potential for political mobilization.

However, as my research progressed—through conversations during participant observation in factories and the interviews I conducted—a different desire emerged: a longing to return to the male breadwinner model and the option of being a housewife exclusively. Drawing on field notes and interview excerpts, I will trace this form of retronormativity.

Building on these findings, I will advocate for preserving epistemic asymmetry as a critically reflective stance inherent to the research process. I will also address the importance of examining our personal ties to research fields. My argument is that attempts to enforce symmetry can diminish the potential for critique. In the context of my research, this would have blurred the distinction between emancipatory and conservative desires.