Hysterical inquiry: A methodology emergent through a dutiful daughter

Abstract

This article theorises hysterical inquiry as an emergent methodology for feminist psychological research. Our example is based on a daughter’s experience of caring for her dying mother. During this process, it becomes apparent that she is only present as caregiver—her mother/daughter encounter has been suppressed by contemporary discourses of caregiving responsibility. Drawing on Freud, Lacan, and feminist theories of psychoanalysis, the daughter undertakes an hysterical quest to locate her missing encounter with her mother. Traversing language structure, she embarks on various journeys, disruptions, and distractions as a network of methodological strategies emerge; speaking eloquently, silently writing, rhythmically weaving her textural engagement with the terrain. As her questions and her scope of inquiry expands, we illustrate the emergence of hysterical inquiry as a viable methodology to address questions treated as invalid within traditional research methodologies.