ABSTRACT
This chapter talks about the complex social, embodied and relational process of researching people in physical cultural contexts. It focuses on the contexts researchers and research participants are situated in, how these backgrounds shape research situations, and finally, how they constitute a rich analytic potential. The chapter outlines two cultural studies terms that relate to researching people in contexts, namely 'research meeting' and 'research dialogue'. It presents an exemplary research encounter the author experienced as part of her research into women's artistic gymnastics (WAG). In so doing, the chapter illustrates how researchers and researched influence scientific work, how during such work, methodological contingencies occur, and lastly, how the capturing of and reflection on such incidents can generate valuable analytic potential. The chapter finally outlines earlier that spatial and temporal factors represent knowledge and discursive forces that are dominant at one particular time and that refer to researchers' and research participants' previous life experiences, socio-historical and cultural subjectification and practical factors.
