Kicked out and let down – two stories of collapse driven work life research

Abstract

Several methods in work life research imply that the researcher gets access to the empirical field and engages in relationships with the people, things and places of study. Once in a while, however, access to the field is interrupted or radically changed. When kicked out or let down out, should the researcher insist, change direction or give up? What methodological considerations and insights might be gained from being rejected? Our point here is that a collapse can be a unique opportunity to challenge preferred interpretations. We propose to consider this approach to research collapse-driven. Collapses can serve as pivotal points for reflective practice that not only offer new perspectives on the empirical field, but also new perspectives on the theo- retical field and thus possible new theoretical contributions.