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...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Island Studies Journal
2021-11-01
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Series: | Island Studies Journal |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.178 |
_version_ | 1797769916681551872 |
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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. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:15:57Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-7ac13d5fb69e4bb0b3a29d47eb662d06 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1715-2593 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:15:57Z |
publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
publisher | Island Studies Journal |
record_format | Article |
series | Island Studies Journal |
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 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT sarahnimfuhr decolonialthinkingacriticalperspectiveonpositionalityandrepresentationsinislandstudies AT grecanmeloni decolonialthinkingacriticalperspectiveonpositionalityandrepresentationsinislandstudies |