Publication
Title
(Un)doing reflexivity : white researchers on their credibility and legitimacy in the field of ethnic and racial studies
Author
Abstract
Positionality and (racialised) positions of power have become crucial topics in the field of ethnic and racial studies, resulting in a growing number of self-reflexive papers on power relations in so-called “cross-ethnic” or “cross-racial” research. However, there has been little comprehensive empirical examination of how researchers navigate questions of positionality when studying ethnic and racial diversity and inequality. This article addresses how white researchers working on these topics aim to establish credibility and legitimacy in the postcolonial context of Flanders, Belgium. Drawing on in-depth interviews, we explore how our respondents (re)construct legitimate motivations for conducting their research, and identify five strategies they use to establish credibility: (a) acknowledging their whiteness; (b) pointing to institutional responsibility, (c) shifting their research focus to white groups or adopting what they consider more “neutral” approaches, (d) claiming experiences with the topic under scrutiny and (e) referring to how ethnic minority groups “approve” their research.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Ethnic and racial studies. - London
Publication
London : 2024
ISSN
0141-9870 [print]
1466-4356 [online]
DOI
10.1080/01419870.2024.2307401
Volume/pages
(2024) , p. 1-22
ISI
001152240800001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
The author-created version that incorporates referee comments and is the accepted for publication version Available from 30.01.2025
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
When does ethnicity become important? Toward a comparative analytic of processes of symbolic boundary work and 'ethnicization' in two Flemish cities.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 30.01.2024
Last edited 10.06.2024
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