A reflection on positionality and knowledge processes in transdisciplinary research

Authors

  • Ruth Peters

Keywords:

knowledge, research, development, positionality, transdisciplinary research, reflectivity, development studies, disability

Abstract

The Stigma Assessment and Reduction of Impact (SARI) project aims to reduce stigma and improve the lives of people affected by leprosy in Cirebon District, Indonesia. The project team includes staff from different scientific disciplines from universities in the global North and South. Members of society participate in several ways in the project. The SARI project is transdisciplinary in the sense that frames, approaches, and methods from different disciplines and local knowledge are combined to co-create knowledge on the reduction of leprosy-related stigma. In this short story I reflect on my own positionality: my baggage and position in the research. I share several realisations about the path I have travelled to where I am today – a researcher in the SARI project – which I believe could be relevant for others. It highlights that understanding one’s own positionality should be encouraged in transdisciplinary research as it can help break down barriers for knowledge processes.

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2013): Breaking the boundaries to knowledge integration: society meets science within knowledge management for development

Section

Stories
The copyright of the articles published in this journal remains the property of the authors. For liability reasons, the title belongs to the Foundation for the Support of the Knowledge Management for Development Journal. The journal is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike License. This journal is currently an open access journal as it has a funding model that does not charge readers or their institutions for access. From the BOAI definition [1] of "open access", we support the rights of users to "read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles." However, some of the content (2009-2012) is only available on the Taylor and Francis website. Within the next few months, this issue too will become available on the OJS. [1] http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess