Reflexivity

Definition

Reflexivity refers to the ability to critically examine one's own assumptions, biases, and position within the research process. It involves a researcher's awareness of how their own background, experiences, and perspectives can influence the way they approach, interpret, and represent their research subject.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Reflexivity is crucial in addressing Western bias and assumptions about humanity, as it encourages researchers to critically examine their own cultural and social biases.
2. Reflexivity is a key component of reaching an insider's point of view, as it allows researchers to acknowledge and account for their outsider status and its impact on their understanding of the research context.
3. Reflexivity is central to the practice of ethnography and ethnology, as it helps researchers navigate the complexities of participant observation and interviewing, and critically examine their role in the research process.
4. Addressing inequities within anthropology requires a reflexive approach, as it enables researchers to recognize and address their own positionality and the power dynamics inherent in the discipline.
5. Reflexivity is essential in visual anthropology and ethnographic film, as it prompts researchers to consider how their own perspectives and choices shape the representation of the communities they study.

Review Questions

• Explain how reflexivity can help address Western bias in anthropological assumptions about humanity.
  • Reflexivity is crucial in addressing Western bias in anthropological assumptions about humanity because it encourages researchers to critically examine their own cultural and social biases. By reflecting on their own positionality, background, and worldview, researchers can become more aware of how these factors shape their understanding and interpretation of human societies and behaviors. This self-awareness allows them to challenge ethnocentric perspectives and strive for a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of the diversity of human experience.
• Describe how reflexivity is connected to the goal of reaching an insider's point of view in anthropological research.
  • Reflexivity is a key component of reaching an insider's point of view in anthropological research. As an outsider to the community being studied, the researcher must acknowledge and account for their own status and how it affects their understanding of the research context. By engaging in reflexivity, the researcher can critically examine their own assumptions, biases, and the power dynamics at play, and strive to gain a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of the insider's perspective. This reflexive approach helps the researcher bridge the gap between their outsider status and the insider's lived experiences, leading to a more authentic and contextual representation of the research subject.
• Analyze the role of reflexivity in addressing inequities within the field of anthropology.
  • Addressing inequities within the field of anthropology requires a reflexive approach, as it enables researchers to recognize and address their own positionality and the power dynamics inherent in the discipline. By engaging in reflexivity, anthropologists can critically examine how their own social, cultural, and political locations have shaped the production and dissemination of anthropological knowledge, often in ways that have marginalized or misrepresented certain communities. This self-awareness can then inform efforts to decolonize anthropology, challenge dominant narratives, and amplify the voices and perspectives of underrepresented groups within the field. Ultimately, reflexivity is a crucial tool for addressing the historical and ongoing inequities that have shaped the anthropological enterprise.

Related terms

Positionality:

The acknowledgment of a researcher's social, cultural, and political location and how it shapes their worldview and research practices.

Insider/Outsider Perspective: The distinction between a researcher's status as an insider (a member of the community being studied) or an outsider (a non-member), and how this affects their understanding and interpretation of the research context.

Standpoint Theory: A theoretical framework that emphasizes how an individual's social location and lived experiences influence their perspective and understanding of the world.