«Fra kebab til intimitet» – dialogisk autoetnografisk utforsking av vennskap [From kebab to intimacy – A dialogical autoethnographic exploration of friendship]

Abstract

This paper is a conversational autoethnography based on personal and written communication among six academics affiliated with the University of South-Eastern Norway. It explores how sharing personal stories of friendship through writing and talking can serve as a means for developing a broadened understanding of what friendship can be, at both a personal and a cultural level. Simultaneously, the paper explores how the very act of sharing such stories affects the relationship among group participants and challenges common assumptions about professional relations in academia. Through its unconventional structure and topic, the paper calls into question what counts as knowledge and opens the door to new ways of developing knowledge. It also invites readers to engage in further reflections and unfinalized stories of friendship, dialogue, and knowledge.