Workshop "Ethnography and Epistemic Hierarchies", 25-26 May 2023

Co-organized by DVPW-Thematic Group "Ethnographic Methods in Political Science", Postcolonial Hierarchies, Center for Political Practices and Orders, and Universität Erfurt

Foto from group work on "Emancipatory Research", Erfurt 25 May 2023.

We had two days of an amazing workshop with fantastic and highly committed scholars from different disciplinary, geographic and academic career backgrounds.

The longstanding critique of white, European savior complex and of ethnographies colonial roots was acknowledged as a heavy burden.

Thinking about the question, what emancipatory research means, resulted in discussions about the multiple types of power asymmetries that our research wants to address, but that also shape our research in its structure, relations and results. While we came to the conclusion that engaging in progressive politics requires researchers' humbleness and good ethical practices in order to open spaces for imagination.

Therefore, engaging in emancipatory research is a constant struggle with not reproducing power asymmetries but to help transform those asymmetries on a personal, academic and societal level.

It has been a wonderful experience of mutual learning! Thank you!