Situated Understandings: Interpreting Knowledge in a Historical Narrative Project Through Multiple Positionalities.
Location
1048
Format Type
Event
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
January 2018
End Date
January 2018
Abstract
As researchers engaged with marginalized individuals, we recognize the need for honest and intentional consideration of our own positionalities. What role did our past knowledge and/or relationships with the central participant and identified target group, and our individual positions in several different realms (generational, gender, sexuality, research backgrounds), have on the evolution and interpreted conclusions of our study? In our phenomenological exploration of a life history narrative involving a sixty-two year old man from the LGBTQ community and an intergenerational focus group session with this individual and a college PRIDE group, we recognized the need for honest reflection and deliberate decision-making. We -- two researchers from different social science disciplines and an undergraduate college student -- reflect on our decision-making processes involving research question, study design, participant-researcher interactions, and analysis procedures. We relate the discussions and processes in which we engaged, as we considered our diverse biases and the data from the field, then sought an integration of these knowledge sources into trustworthy interpretations. We posit that through analysis of data from conscientious self-reflective journaling, ongoing field note taking, and recorded/analyzed group analysis sessions, our points of difference led to an enhancement of the understandings from our study.
Situated Understandings: Interpreting Knowledge in a Historical Narrative Project Through Multiple Positionalities.
1048
As researchers engaged with marginalized individuals, we recognize the need for honest and intentional consideration of our own positionalities. What role did our past knowledge and/or relationships with the central participant and identified target group, and our individual positions in several different realms (generational, gender, sexuality, research backgrounds), have on the evolution and interpreted conclusions of our study? In our phenomenological exploration of a life history narrative involving a sixty-two year old man from the LGBTQ community and an intergenerational focus group session with this individual and a college PRIDE group, we recognized the need for honest reflection and deliberate decision-making. We -- two researchers from different social science disciplines and an undergraduate college student -- reflect on our decision-making processes involving research question, study design, participant-researcher interactions, and analysis procedures. We relate the discussions and processes in which we engaged, as we considered our diverse biases and the data from the field, then sought an integration of these knowledge sources into trustworthy interpretations. We posit that through analysis of data from conscientious self-reflective journaling, ongoing field note taking, and recorded/analyzed group analysis sessions, our points of difference led to an enhancement of the understandings from our study.
Comments
Breakout Session C