Feminist research: strengths and challenges

In the process of carrying out feminist research some method and methodological issues have surfaced. These issues are discussed within the context of work in progress exploring the embodied experience of large body size for nine New Zealand women who are medically deemed to be obese. The applicability of feminist research in this and other settings is argued and the specific issues considered. These included aspects of objectivity in feminist research and insertion of myself into the research process and presentation of findings. Mutuality, thematic analysis and the beneficial effects of the research are also discussed.