(Im)possible Identity: Autoethnographic (re)Presentations

In this paper, we examine experience, identity, and their intersections. Working from an autoethnographic positionality, we investigate the insufficiencies of language and the limitations of any given researcher with an intent to address multiple realities and their respective interpretations of meaning. Autoethnographic narratives with the use of visual, written, and multimedia representations further acknowledge the dilemmas of qualitative researchers when they cannot fully describe subjectivities in research. What is deemed to be valid research is often indicative of a theoretical framework that aggressively seeks to invalidate other perspectives and ways of knowing. Thus, we create research spaces by employing counter-narratives as well as different representations that seek to challenge grand narratives in educational research—namely, a high reliance on numbers or written representations. Such challenges are critical to understanding the advancement of research, and enhancing the public discourse regarding educational research