Contribution short abstract:

Collaborative efforts of inclusion too often continue to uphold power dynamics that perpetuate systemic exclusion and epistemic injustice. This contribution draws on bottom-up, collective cultural practices to advance ideas for equitable commoning of research processes.

Contribution long abstract:

From the cultural sector and academia in Belgium and beyond, diversity initiatives often focus on the inclusion of “the other” without addressing power dynamics, like whiteness, present in collaborative processes. Inclusion, under these conditions, frequently becomes an act of assimilation on white terms rather than a commitment to an equitable commoning of the research process with historically and structurally marginalized groups.

In this contribution, I’d like to critically examine the concepts of “symmetry” and “inclusion,” exploring how they can inadvertently uphold whiteness rather than dismantle the frameworks that perpetuate systemic exclusion and epistemic injustice. Drawing on the works of Grada Kilomba, Tania Cañas, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, and others, I learn from experiences of bottom-up and collective meaning-making in cultural spaces, often overlooked by traditional academic approaches and interrogate persistent power dynamics within attempts to make research processes more inclusive. Central to this analysis are questions such as: “How do we equitably common a research process within structures that uphold hierarchy and power dynamics?” and “What safeguards are in place to protect collaborators, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, from harm in these spaces?”

This intervention seeks to advance transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral frameworks for joint knowledge production that are rooted in decolonial and equitable principles. Researchers and collaborators are invited to critically question how collaborative and curatorial practices in cultural projects help rethink traditional research processes, recognize and dismantle invisible power lines and create safer spaces for commoning research processes.