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Positionality

Definition

“One’s social position or place in a given society in relation to race, ethnicity, and other statuses (e.g., age, gender, gender identity and expression, religion, national origin, immigration status, language, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status) within systems of power and oppression. Positionality refers to individual identities and the intersection of those identities and statuses with systems of privilege and oppression. Positionality shapes a person’s psychological experiences, worldview, perceptions others have of them, social relationships, and access to resources (Muhammad et al., 2015). Positionality therefore means actively understanding and negotiating the systemic processes and hierarchy of power and the ways that statuses affect relationships because of power dynamics related to privilege and oppression (APA Task Force on Race and Ethnicity Guidelines in Psychology, 2019)”

Definition source: American Psychological Association. (2023). Inclusive language guide (2nd ed.).

Stakes

part of: opacity

When positionality goes unconsidered or unacknowledged, the research is impacted and lacks connection to the current situation (tone-deaf). Also hinders transparency, reuse and reproducibility.

Where does it occur in the lifecycle?

1 - Set up

Questions to consider throughout your work

  • How does the social, political, economic, cultural, academic context you are embedded in impact your choice of research?
  • Are there policies/guidelines within your institution that are relevant to your project - if so, which ones? 1
  • How does the social, political, economic, cultural, academic context you are embedded in impact what topics of research are receiving funding? In what way are you aligning your research to this?
  • Does your institution have in-house expertise on writing successful funding proposals?
  • How does the social, political, economic, cultural, academic context you are embedded in relate to advancing social justice?
    • For example, are you a person from and/or conducting research in a place that was a colonial power? How can you then use the benefits of your context to advance the deconstruction of existing power structures?

Examples

Good-better-best practices

Good Better Best
Cultivate awareness of the role of positionality in research within your research (team). Do not aim for your research to be grounded in a ‘neutral’ or ‘objective’ voice. Decenter ‘neutrality’, while centering ‘radical empathy’ (Caswell and Cifor, 2016), respect and care.2 Discuss positionality in your research in internal and/or public documentation - you can conduct positionality interviews and analysis among team members.3
Center complicity in reflexive reparative practices, instead of asserting privilege. Prioritise reflection, humility and resistance to performance.4 Create plurivocality in your research (include different areas of situatedness). See: Collaboration.
Include positionality statements in your Ethical Commitments, Mission Statement and/or general website.5

Resources

  • Haraway, Donna. “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective.” In Feminist Theory Reader, 5th ed. Routledge, 2020.

  1. Question taken from Dataschool Utrecht, DEDA Worksheet (2022). ↩

  2. Adapted from Archives for Black Lives, Anti-Racist Description Resources (2019). ↩

  3. Cf. interviews with Globalise ↩

  4. See Jasmine K Gani, Rabea M Khan, Positionality Statements as a Function of Coloniality: Interrogating Reflexive Methodologies, International Studies Quarterly, Volume 68, Issue 2, June 2024 ↩

  5. Kelly Breemen and Vicky Breemen (forthcoming publication). ↩