Turning: “Me-search” Upside Down: Challenges and Opportunities of Knowledge Production as “Insiders”

Table Talk Series by Anti-Racism and Equity Committee

June 16, 2021 (Wed), 12:30pm-2pm (EST)

Please register in advance

“Me-search” is a pejorative and racialized term that casts the work of scholars of colour and other marginalized scholars as inherently narrow in focus and limited in generalizability. We envision this Table Talk as a space to turn “me-search” upside down, by dialoguing about the unique advantages and challenges that come from insider perspectives, social justice commitments in research, and critical reflexivity. Recognizing that studying one’s own community is a common practise for all researchers, we seek to stimulate a conversation that critically interrogates the term “me-search” and recognizes its racialized impact, considering both the politics and ethics of studying marginalized communities as “insiders.” Everyone is invited, and BIPoC and other marginalized graduate students are especially welcome.

Panelists: Jessica Fields, Tahseen Shams, and Yvonne Sherwood

Organizing Team: Sharla Alegria, Hae Yeon Choo, and Rebecca Lennox (Anti-racism and Equity Committee), Andrea Román Alfaro, and Kyla Simms