Rethinking position statements in ethnographic research

Jacqueline M Manzo, Danielle N Aguilar and Katherine Schultz

Chapter 23 in Research Handbook on the Anthropology of Education, 2026, pp 234-244 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The term “research positionality” and the use of position statements have become more common in ethnographic research in recent years. Articulating one's position allows researchers to introduce their identities and recognize power differentials between researchers and participants. In this chapter, we expand the common understanding of position statements by conducting a plática, or a conversation based on trust and vulnerability. After exploring how position statements might change as the research project evolves, we conclude that the term “collective positioning” better represents researchers’ roles and indicates the importance of relationality or paying attention to the interrelationships between the researcher, the participants, the communities, the land, and the larger sociopolitical context, as well as the purposes or intentions of the research.

Keywords: Reflexivity; Relationality; Position statements; Researcher's role; Plática (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332908
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