Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island Studies

Scholars conducting research on and about islands face the challenge of countering the epistemic and methodological dominance of external perspectives on islands with an insular internal view, while also avoiding essentializing the island or reproducing Western perspectives. Islands have always been...

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Main Authors: Sarah Nimführ, Greca N. Meloni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Island Studies Journal 2021-11-01
Series:Island Studies Journal
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.178
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author Sarah Nimführ
Greca N. Meloni
author_facet Sarah Nimführ
Greca N. Meloni
author_sort Sarah Nimführ
collection DOAJ
description Scholars conducting research on and about islands face the challenge of countering the epistemic and methodological dominance of external perspectives on islands with an insular internal view, while also avoiding essentializing the island or reproducing Western perspectives. Islands have always been—and in some cases still are—confronted with a colonial gaze. Thus, to avoid producing hegemonic epistemology, we call for critical reflection on how islands are represented in our research, which theoretical concepts are referred to, and what knowledge is produced by applying them. Furthermore, we appeal for a reconsideration of the researcher’s positionality within the field and their role in knowledge production. This special section is a contribution to the decolonial project within island studies.
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spelling doaj.art-7ac13d5fb69e4bb0b3a29d47eb662d062023-07-29T13:38:40ZengIsland Studies JournalIsland Studies Journal1715-25932021-11-01162Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island StudiesSarah NimführGreca N. MeloniScholars conducting research on and about islands face the challenge of countering the epistemic and methodological dominance of external perspectives on islands with an insular internal view, while also avoiding essentializing the island or reproducing Western perspectives. Islands have always been—and in some cases still are—confronted with a colonial gaze. Thus, to avoid producing hegemonic epistemology, we call for critical reflection on how islands are represented in our research, which theoretical concepts are referred to, and what knowledge is produced by applying them. Furthermore, we appeal for a reconsideration of the researcher’s positionality within the field and their role in knowledge production. This special section is a contribution to the decolonial project within island studies.https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.178
spellingShingle Sarah Nimführ
Greca N. Meloni
Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island Studies
Island Studies Journal
title Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island Studies
title_full Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island Studies
title_fullStr Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island Studies
title_full_unstemmed Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island Studies
title_short Decolonial Thinking: A Critical Perspective on Positionality and Representations in Island Studies
title_sort decolonial thinking a critical perspective on positionality and representations in island studies
url https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.178
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