Paper short abstract:

Drawing from our joint-experiences in working about the past, we'll try to reflect on the inner tensions in approaching the study of historical events from, dominated or counter-hegemonic, social memory framed discourses.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper, drawing from our joint-experiences in working about the past, we'll try to reflect on the inner tensions in approaching the study of historical events from, dominated or counter-hegemonic, social memory framed discourses.

In so, asking ourselves how to justify our presence, explain our interest in the research and working alongside our informant's own agenda, naturally more concerned in telling their story, sharing their vision of the facts and legitimizing their version of the events.

The relationship construction with our informants, necessarily involving interest expressions and period knowledge demonstrations, feeds representations about the researcher, largely supported on ideological positioning and class-based solidarities which, not necessarily factual, diminish the initial suspicion; while forcing the researcher into a lengthy ethical self-questioning.

To what extension should we feed, or even allow, misrepresentations of the researcher, even if they ease the information gathering process.