ABSTRACT
In this chapter, drawing on sociological literature around reflexivity and positionality, I provide my own reflections on subjectivity and positionality. For example, I talk about my own experiences of love, romance and heartbreak, linking this to relevant sociological literature and theory. My own experience of writing about love is emphasised. These aspects are exactly what are needed in the conceptually-dominated literature of love, and so I offer some important and nuanced insights regarding reflexivity and love, which can help draw in readers allowing them to connect with the author, especially other sociologists who have experienced or are in love. Furthermore, this chapter details my own histories, biographies, and past experiences. For example, using social theories to elucidate my discussions, I talk about my experiences of being a gay Muslim rape victim, struggling to locate myself in this social world due to the difficulties of finding and capturing love. Drawing on examples of abuse, pain, and exclusion, such as my experiences of rape, I demonstrate the ways in which love is elusive for someone like me who embodies many different stigmatizing strands of identities: a gay Muslim rape victim.
