Language, power, and multilingualism in migration research: reflections from the documentary method
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Authors
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Publication date
14.01.2026
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01A - Journal article
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Parent work
Social Inclusion
Special issue
Multilingual challenges: empirical social research in migration societies, transnational spaces, and international contexts
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14
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Cogitatio Press
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Abstract
In two research projects conducted in Austria and Germany in the field of forced migration, we found similar challenges and potentials, namely, the methodological challenges of addressing multilingualism in a methodically controlled way and the potential of systematically analysing power dynamics within multilingual interviews using the documentary method. In this article, we illustrate the intertwining of language and power in multilingual qualitative research. Discussing two empirical examples in depth, we show that different data (with and without interpreters) are embedded in different power hierarchies, which need to be recognized. We also discuss the lessons we learned, as well as the limitations that we encountered, and conclude with a call to navigate through the ambiguities of migration societies that are reflected in multilingual research realities.
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2183-2803
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
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Peer review of the complete publication
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Gold
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Citation
Tries, T., & Mehringer, V. (2026). Language, power, and multilingualism in migration research: reflections from the documentary method. Social Inclusion, 14. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.10821