In the first session of the reading circle ‘Decolonizing knowledge production’ on 14/03, we introduced ‘Asia as method’ (Chen, 2010) as one of the remarkable intellectual attempts to uncover and overcome the global hierarchies of knowledge production. The second session will be organized online on 29/04 to discuss further the mundane practical aspects of this topic. We will collectively reflect on the impacts of current (neoliberal) academic structures/practices on strengthening asymmetric power relations and building up barriers to non-Western knowledge.
Time: Friday, Apr 29, 2022 04:00 PM (Helsinki time)
The session will be organized online. To join Zoom Meeting, please contact the organizer
Agenda:
16:00 – 16:10: Introduction
16:10 – 16:45: Going beyond ‘Asia as Method’
In connection to our first meeting, we will briefly discuss some critical responses to Chen’s ‘Asia as Method’ (2010), the unsolved questions, and the difficulties that we encountered in reading and applying Chen (2010).
16:45 – 17:45: Academic practices and the reproduction of hierarchy
Doctoral researcher Tram Ninh will briefly introduce Mott & Cockayne (2017) and relevant reading materials. The article(s) helps to open discussion on the pertaining colonial power structure in the modern academy and the possible barriers that current (neoliberal) academic practices create to non-Western knowledge and researchers.
In addition to reflections on the introduced reading materials, participants are welcome to share their thoughts/questions regarding all relevant issues, which may include for example (1) ‘Barriers’ and ‘gatekeepers’ in the academic world, (2) Experiences of facing or recognizing the inequality or the sense of ‘otherness’ as academics in different positions (3) Possible strategies or solutions to include knowledge with more diverse backgrounds in research.
Reading materials (Optional):
1. Mott, C., & Cockayne, D. (2017) Citation matters: mobilizing the politics of citation toward a practice of ‘conscientious engagement’, Gender, Place & Culture, 24:7, 954-973, DOI: 10.1080/0966369X.2017.1339022
2. Connell, R., Pearse, R., Collyer, F., Maia, J. M., & Morrell, R. (2018). Negotiating with the North: How Southern-tier intellectual workers deal with the global economy of knowledge. The Sociological Review, 66(1), 41–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026117705038
Contact information:
Tram Ninh
Doctoral researcher
Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University
Email: tram.ninh@tuni.fi