Emotions as inspiration for reflexivity in action research

The chapter provides an analysis of some key-contents in managing an AR process, illustrated through boxes that will serve for opening up the role of emotions alongside the process, both on the participants part and on the researchers’ one. The key contents can be split around two main subsets, which are considered as conceptual organizers: 1] A powerful anchorage to the past, impacting on the participants’ difficulties in inhabiting the present; 2] The feeling of fear and a response of anger directed towards a perceived “enemy”. the chapterillustrates these two conceptual organizers by presenting some experienced situations and case examples.