Autoethnographic Enquiry of Sexual Violence in Academia

Abstract This article presents a reflection on the epistemological and vital implications of using autoethnographic enquiry to research sexual violence within higher education institutions and adjacent spaces. To explore the implications of using this methodology, we review the existing literature and the key discussions it raises, to which we add our own experiences writing and publishing an autoethnographic reflection on the sexual violence we suffered during research fieldwork. It begins by situating our work alongside similar ones in the context of the MeToo movement. Then, it explores five aspects of the autoethnographic enquiry that better define those reflecting on sexual violence within academia. First, it examines the capacity of this methodology to challenge current norms of knowledge production. Second, it highlights how the use of this methodology can make meaningful research contributions. Third, it reflects on the possibility of autoethnography to reclaim the silenced voices of survivors and on the multiple mechanisms of silencing victims and survivors. The fourth aspect is the power of sexual violence autoethnographies to create a reaction in the reader and society, behind which we see a collective endeavour. Finally, we reflect on the personal impact and therapeutic possibilities of this methodology.