positionality statement

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Positionality

● Define ● Why is it important ● How does it affect interviews?

Research? ● Writing positionality statements

Elton’s Advice 1. Give your whole attention to the person interviewed, and make it

evident that you are doing so. 2. Listen—don’t talk. 3. Never argue; never give advice. 4. Listen to:

(a) what he wants to say (b) what he does not want to say (c) what he cannot say without help

5. As you listen, plot out tentatively and for subsequent correction the pattern (personal) that is being set before you. To test this, from time to time summarize what has been said and present for comment (e.g. “is this what you are telling me?”). Always do this with the greatest caution, that is, clarify in ways that do not add or distort.

6. Remember that everything said must be considered a personal confidence and not divulged to anyone. (Mayo, 1933, p. 65).

Ethical Concerns Protecting privacy Preventing harm Providing value to society (and if possible to person)

*Thinking about who you are Are you the “right” person to be conducting this work?

Knowledge sovereignty

https://eos.org/articles/keeping-indigenous-science-knowledge-out-of-a-colonial- mold

Define World view

-ontology: “an individual’s beliefs about the nature of social reality and what is knowable about the world”

-epistemology: “an individual’s beliefs about the nature of knowledge” -assumptions about human nature and agency

Position you occupy (including) -race and ethnicity -settler -gender -religion -sexual orientation -parenthood -residence -class -occupation

How do you fit with: 1) the subject being researched 2) the participants 3) research context and process

Positionality Culturally ascribed (often considered “fixed”)

Chosen

***Important to realize that you should set aside stereotypes and preconceived notions about communities and participants when conducting research.

****Critical to consider how positionality may relate to risk for both you as the researcher and the especially the research participants.

Reflexivity Self-reflection Examining your preconceptions Reflecting about how they may affect your research

Continuous reflection is critical for thoughtful social scientific research

“A good strong positionality statement will typically include a description of the researcher’s lenses (such as their philosophical, personal, theoretical beliefs and perspective through which they view the research process), potential influences on the research (such as age, political beliefs, social class, race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, previous career), the researcher’s chosen or pre-determined position about the participants in the project (e.g., as an insider or an outsider), the research-project context and an explanation as to how, where, when and in what way these might, may, or have, influenced the research process.”

Insider vs Outsider If you are an “insider”, ethnography will reflect “emic” perspective - meaning you will have the same worldview/ontology.

If you are an “outsider”, this will be an “etic” perspective - meaning you have different worldviews.

In practice, this may also relate to the epistemology and methods used for ethnographic research, such as use of grounded approach that relies on participant voice versus a realist approach that starts from established theories.

Examples and Overview https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/pb-assets/assets/14756811/Positionality-Statement s-1621354517813.pdf