"Positionality & Research: How our Identities Shape Inquiry"

UCLA Library2021-03-16

43K views|3 years ago

💫 Short Summary

The tutorial explores the relationship between our social identities and the research process, highlighting how our identities influence where we search for information, how we evaluate resources, and what information we produce. This interconnection is referred to as positionality, and it comes with experiences and perspectives that bias us in the research journey.

✨ Highlights

📊 Transcript

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The tutorial explores the relationship between social identities and research.

00:00

The research process is not just about external aspects, but also about internal factors that influence where and how we search for information.

Our social identities, such as educational background, race, gender, and geographic location, affect how we interact with others and how we engage in the research process.

These social identities give meaning and are influenced by the societies we live in.

The interconnection between place, identities, self-understanding, and relations to people is referred to as positionality in research.

✦

Positionality in research refers to the interconnection between place, identities, self-understanding, and relations to people, and how it affects the research process.

01:00

Our positionality is based on our experiences and perspectives, which bring unique insights and biases into the research process.

These biases influence the selection of resources, criteria for determining good sources, and how we present our research.

Research can never be fully neutral or objective due to the biases we carry, but it is important to be aware of these biases and their impact.

Reflecting on our identities is important before exploring strategies to remain mindful of our positionality in research.

00:00 hi i'm renee i'm sylvia

00:03 i'm keon and i'm chris we're from the

00:05 wire creative design team at the ucla

00:07 library

00:08 and in this tutorial we'll explore the

00:10 relationship between our social

00:11 identities and research

00:13 so what comes to mind when you think of

00:15 the research process

00:17 what does your research process look

00:18 like when the research process is being

00:21 referred to or illustrated

00:22 the external aspects of research are

00:24 usually highlighted

00:26 you might have imagined one of these

00:27 aspects working in a lab

00:30 conducting an in-depth interview or

00:32 searching through a library database

00:34 while these are the more well-known

00:35 parts of research there are also the

00:37 internal factors that influence where we

00:38 search for information

00:40 how we evaluate the resources we find

00:42 and what information we produce

00:43 ourselves

00:45 we often refer to these factors as our

00:47 social identities which can include our

00:49 educational background

00:50 race and or ethnicity our first language

00:54 gender sexual orientation geographic

00:57 location

00:58 and more these identities are given

01:00 meaning

01:01 and social influence by the societies we

01:03 live in and they affect how we interact

01:05 with other people

01:06 and how other people see us researchers

01:09 refer to this interconnection between

01:11 place identities self-understanding and

01:14 relations to people

01:16 as positionality our positionality comes

01:19 with experiences and perspectives that

01:21 afford us

01:22 unique insights that we bring into the

01:25 research process

01:26 these experiences and perspectives also

01:29 bias us

01:30 in the research journey by influencing

01:32 which resources we do

01:34 or don't select shaping our criteria for

01:38 determining

01:39 what counts as a good source

01:42 and affecting how we choose to present

01:44 or articulate

01:46 our own research we often hear that

01:48 research should be a neutral or

01:50 objective process

01:51 the reality is that we can never achieve

01:53 full neutrality or objectivity

01:55 we'll always carry these experiences and

01:57 identities as well as the biases they

01:58 come with

01:59 and this is okay the goal is to be aware

02:01 of how and where our biases are at play

02:03 in our research

02:04 so we can make sure we're not

02:05 overlooking certain voices for our

02:06 research or make assumptions about

02:08 experiences that are not our own

02:11 before moving on to strategies that help

02:12 us remain mindful of our positionality

02:14 and research

02:15 let's spend some time reflecting on the

02:16 identities that make up our

02:19 positionality

💫 FAQs about This YouTube Video

1. What is the relationship between social identities and research?

The relationship between social identities and research is explored, highlighting how our identities influence the way we search for information, evaluate resources, and produce our own research. These identities are given meaning by society and affect our interactions with others.

2. What is meant by positionality in research?

Positionality in research refers to the interconnection between place, identities, self-understanding, and relations to people, and how it influences the research process. Our positionality is based on our experiences and perspectives, which bring unique insights and biases into the research process.

3. How do our social identities affect the research process?

Our social identities, such as educational background, race, gender, and geographic location, affect how we interact with others and how we engage in the research process. These identities give meaning and are influenced by the societies we live in.

4. Is research a completely neutral and objective process?

Research can never be completely neutral or objective due to the biases we carry. It is important to be aware of these biases and their impact on the research process to ensure that we do not overlook certain voices or make assumptions about experiences that are not our own.

5. Why is reflecting on our identities important in research?

Reflecting on our identities is important in research as it helps us understand how our biases and perspectives can influence the research process. By being mindful of our biases, we can ensure that our research is conducted in a fair and inclusive manner.

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