Masculinist Epistemologies and the Politics of Fieldwork in Latin Americanist Geography

Juanita Sundberg

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Feminist Epistemology and Gender Studies Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics Geography and Education Methods

Abstract

Given the importance of fieldwork in Latin Americanist geography, it is intriguing to note the absence of a dialogue about the politics of fieldwork within the subdiscipline. Drawing from feminist theories about the production of knowledge, this article suggests that the silence about fieldwork is rooted in masculinist epistemologies that predominate in Latin Americanist geography. After analyzing the epistemological and pedagogical implications of masculinism, I argue for increased attention to the nexus of power and knowledge and in particular, to how the researcher's geographic location, social status, race, and gender fundamentally shape the questions asked, the data collected, and the interpretation of the data. Dialogue about these issues in our teaching and writing not only will better prepare students for fieldwork, but also has the potential to foster research that subverts rather than reproduces power inequalities. *The thirty-seven individuals who responded to my survey, sent out in January 2001, made this article possible; my warmest appreciation goes out to each person who took the time to ponder and respond to my questions. An earlier version of this article was presented at the AAG Annual Meetings in New York in February 2001; as I had taken ill, I wish to thank Scott Prudham for delivering the paper on my behalf (a performance that is now legendary). I also thank Ines Mijares, Alison Mountz, Geraldine Pratt, Minelle Mahtani, and Scott Prudham for comments and encouragement. The five reviewers for this article provided additional insights that strengthened the article. However, I am responsible for the arguments presented here, as well as any and all errors.

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2012Justice and the Politics of Difference 1986Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography 1986Writing Culture 1987The science question in feminism 1992Beyond “Culture”: Space, Identity, and the Politics of Difference 2011Justice and the Politics of Difference 1992Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? Thinking from Women's Lives.2016Whose Science? Whose Knowledge?

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