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Three participatory geographers: reflections on positionality and working with participants in researching religions, spiritualities, and faith
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Date
2020-09-03
Authors
Denning, Stephanie
Scriven, Richard
Slatter, Ruth
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Publisher
Taylor and Francis
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Abstract
This paper advances the geographies of religion, spirituality and faith’s limited attention to positionality by discussing the critical issues raised when using participatory approaches. Reflecting on three cases of participatory research, we foreground the dynamics of being a researcher with faith when working with participants from faith communities. Advocating participatory approaches as valuable methodologies that should be used more extensively to explore beliefs, faith practices, and social justice, we argue that greater attention needs to be given to the positionality of researchers undertaking this sort of research. Our cases raise three themes for discussion. First, the variety of ways in which faith positionalities influence how research is developed, conducted and concluded. Second, the intersections between our faith and other positionalities and how they shape our roles and relationships with research participants. Third, the fluid and multifaceted nature of faith positionalities and how they are changed, emphasized, and softened through the dynamics and entanglements of fieldwork. In doing so, we reflect on the complexities of being a researcher with faith, argue that faith positionality is a helpful dimension of their research rather than a limitation, and that all cultural, social and historical geographical researchers should reflect on their faith positionality.
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Keywords
Faith , Geographies of religion , Participatory geographies , Positionality , Researchers with faith , Spirituality
Citation
Denning, S., Scriven, R. and Slatter, R. (2020) 'Three participatory geographers: reflections on positionality and working with participants in researching religions, spiritualities, and faith', Social & Cultural Geography, (19 pp). doi: 10.1080/14649365.2020.1815826
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© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Social & Cultural Geography on 03 Sep 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14649365.2020.1815826