Feministische Geo-RundMail Informationen rund um feministische Geographie Nr. 83 | September 2020 (© Photos and Design by Klosterkamp 2020) Theme Issue Feminist Research Practice in Geography: Snapshots, Reflections, Concepts Feministisches Geo-RundMail Nr. 83 | Sept 2020 Dear readers We started planning this theme issue not without concerns demonstrate the value of doing so. And by relating to exist- about its timing. An ongoing pandemic that kept thwarting ing debates—often in other disciplines, on other continents, all kinds of plans and causing much extra stress (amongst or in other language-communities—they demonstrate how other things) for many, a submission deadline in mid-sum- much each of us can learn from what has already been writ- mer, a topic that’s not exactly amongst the latest academic ten on feminist fieldwork practice, politics and ethics. This trends: would this be a worthwhile project and the right mo- reveals, once again, the importance of feminist contribu- ment to invite fellow researchers to join the conversation? tions to these debates—including the crucial contributions In the end, we decided to send out the call and see how it by queer, trans*, intersectional, and Black feminists and would resonate with potential authors. Well, it did—to a de- feminists of colour. gree that went far beyond our expectations. Declarations of At the same time, the contributions demonstrate that interest and later manuscripts began to pile up in our in- knowledge about what we can do with fieldwork, and what boxes. Some of the authors sent their contributions while fieldwork does with us, does not simply pile up and we being on holidays, in the final phases of writing their thesis shouldn’t expect to have it all available at some point. New or research grant proposal, while moving between coun- research issues, struggles for social justice and political tries, being swamped with many other tasks or facing per- awareness, new technologies and new kinds of research en- sonal challenges. And they invested time and efforts not for counters and styles call for new approaches. They generate some high profile academic journal, but the absolutely- questions and situations that won’t lend themselves to read- great-but-not-so-high-profile Feministische GeoRundmail. ymade solutions, but rather require reflection, negotiation, We think this tells us something about the role of research and sometimes trail-and-error modes of moving forward. practice, particularly fieldwork, in “our” academic debates Contributors to this theme issue are seeking responsible and and routines. We understand these manifold responses as meaningful strategies and responses to such challenges and signs of a prevalent desire to share research experiences demonstrate how we can develop them by way of collective and reflections, and to be part of and contribute to conver- and critical exchange. Feminist and intersectional theories sations about fieldwork as a social practice with ethical and help us to better understand the relationship between posi- political implications. This seems remarkable to us, for dif- tionalities and complex entanglements in power structures ferent reasons. First, because – as diagnosed by many – the in research situations, the importance of situated accounts exciting but often bumpy process of conducting fieldwork is and knowledges, and the possibilities and limits of various mostly side-lined in academic writing and rarely gets much forms of articulation and agency. They thereby provide im- attention in collective and institutionalized forms of ex- portant tools for such personal and collective journeys. change. Second, because this desire to share encompasses In such a spirit of moving things forward in emancipatory issues and stories that are often regarded as difficult, un- and meaningful ways, contributions in this issue emphasize comfortable, unwanted or “too personal” in the academy: re- creative research styles and forms of collaboration, commu- flections on unresolved and maybe unresolvable tensions, nication and intervention—both as a way of dealing with on plans not working out, feelings of frustration and failure, problems and as a fun and fulfilling way to make use of the questions of power and privilege, or a sense of falling back freedoms and possibilities that we enjoy as students and re- behind one’s own or others’ expectations. searchers, deploying feminist accounts of engaging with and Contributions in this issue go beyond sharing joy and strug- respectfully acknowledging different types and modes of gles in fieldwork. They link their situated observations and knowledge production. Not less creative, some contribu- experiences to sophisticated reflections on research politics tions highlight personal instances of self-reflexivity, empa- and ethics, power relations, and the possibilities and limits thy and flexibility in research settings and provide many in- of engaged feminist research. They also link them to a wide spiring examples for how these can be turned into new ways range of debates and literatures which they introduce as of feminist collaborative practice. These intimate examples rich sources of inspiration and help. While a sense of soli- of dealing with and overcoming conundrums and disrup- tude and individualization is amongst the common themes tions during or after fieldwork, induced by power asymme- and discomforts described in the contributions assembled tries, disruptive research encounters or the need to reorgan- here (and no uncommon one, as many of us will testify), we ising research due to a global pandemic, are undoubtedly think that they also already indicate imperfect but im- helpful and encouraging. We hope they will provide some portant steps to transcend it: By sharing stories, they 2 Feminist research practice in geography guidance, inspirations and facilitate new alliances in and be- interest, and hope that readers will enjoy and benefit from the yond these troubling times. reflections assembled herein. Last but not least, we would like We are glad that researchers in various positions, from stu- to express our gratitude to all who contributed to this issue! dents to senior colleagues, have contributed to this theme issue and think that such dialogue across status groups is in- Sarah Klosterkamp & Alexander Vorbrugg deed much needed to develop and reflect feminist research in practice. We clustered the many beautiful and powerful contributions in five distinct but also interrelated themes of 3 Feministisches Geo-RundMail Nr. 83 | Sept 2020 Content I: On the journey – when the personal becomes political in fieldwork _________________________________________ 6 Research as a transformative process: Methodology, practice and positionality __________________________________ 6 Özge Yaka Privileged interlocutors, privileged researcher. Reflections on how (white) privilege travels transnationally 10 Viktoria Adler Autoethnographie – ein Versuch: Verletzlichkeit – Dating-Apps – Antifeminismus _____________________________ 15 Tilma*n Treier Struggling with roles and positionality: Reflections on field research in rural Nepal ___________________________ 19 Sarah Speck & Jana Schmid II: Fieldwork as a social situation – dealing with political and ethical challenges __________________________ 24 In search of research relations based on reciprocity, the (im)possibilities of setting up a collaboration between the University and a marginalized social housing neighborhood in Grenoble (France) ______________ 24 Claske Dijkema Reflections on collaborative knowledge production in the context of forced migration. ________________________ 29 Sarah Nimführ Experiencing ‘white fragility’: Cultivating discomfort and the politics of representation in feminist research practices________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34 Silvia Wojczewski Method(olog)ische Reflexionen zu partizipativer Fotografie im Senegal _________________________________________ 39 Franziska Marfurt III: Fieldwork in flux – dealing with the unforeseen and moments of refusal _______________________________ 43 Partizipative Forschung im Lockdown ______________________________________________________________________________ 43 Shkumbin Gashi, Heidi Kaspar, Claudia Müller, Katharina Pelzelmayer, Anita Schürch & Karin van Holten The ‘accidental’ and the ‘failed': Turning silent/ced moments in the field into data _____________________________ 48 Melike Peterson & Nora Küttel Researching Agbogbloshie: A reflection on refusals in fieldwork encounters ____________________________________ 52 Grace Abena Akese From failure to emancipation: the case for a feminist research practice _________________________________________ 55 Ottavia Cima IV: Fieldwork unbounded – getting creative with methods _____________________________________________________ 61 Gegen die Unsichtbarkeit – Episodische Forschungsannäherung an ein (verkörpertes) Dazwischen _________ 61 Maja-Lee Voigt Off the beaten track: The walking interview as a novel research method in refugee studies ___________________ 66 Rik P. Huizinga A visual reminder on positionality and the limits of reflection. ___________________________________________________ 71 Katharina Schmidt The mLAB – where geography, art and media collaborate _________________________________________________________ 72 mLAB Uni Bern 4 Feminist research practice in geography V: Translations between theory and practice - creating spaces of exchange ________________________________