Relational Emergence as Affective Solidarity in Feminist Qualitative Research: Beyond the “Performative DEI Aesthetic”

• In Event: Inquiries of Liberation: Creativity, Solidarity, and Resistance in Qualitative Research

Abstract

Amidst rising illiberalism and anti-DEI sentiment in U.S. education, this study examines how equity-oriented educators co-construct knowledge through a critical feminist, participatory qualitative research methodology grounded in adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy. Moving beyond traditional qualitative paradigms, the project emphasizes relational accountability and collective agency. Through collaborative inquiry, educators engaged in justice-driven praxis within and beyond their classrooms. This work demonstrates the power of affective solidarity and emergent responsiveness as both method and ethic—challenging extractive research models and offering a transformative approach rooted in care, adaptability, and deep interdependence.

Author

• Alycia M. Elfreich, Montana State University