Paper short abstract:

This article analyses the psychological & socio-economic implications of the 'research profession' for Congolese researchers in their confrontation with violence, precarity, and stress. We reflect on how to revalue the role of those pushed into periphery of scientific knowledge production.

Paper long abstract:

Current debates on social justice in knowledge production show the difficulties that researchers from the Global South face in field research. This article highlights the psychological and socio-economic implications of the 'research profession' for Congolese researchers. These researchers participate fully in the construction of knowledge, but as a result of their experiences in the field, they are also exposed to nightmares, insomnia, stress and anxiety. These dimensions merit in-depth socio-anthropological investigation and reflection, and require a fundamental rethinking of our research practices in order to revalue the crucial role of those who are pushed into periphery of scientific knowledge production.

From a methodological point of view, the article focuses on the experiences of researchers from the DRC engaged in research commissioned by organisations, foreign /local academic institutions, and international /national NGOs. We combine information from several initiatives: 1) We analysed the blogs that came out of a collective process among 40 researchers on ethical and emotional challenges in research, published as the #BukavuSeries (we are among the coordinators of this process). 2) We organised a seminar with #BukavuSeries researchers and others. In January 2020, about thirty people engaged in a participatory theatre experience around field research challenges. The participatory exercise allowed us to observe and interpret the actors' gestural messages about their own field situations and problems, and to gather feedback from other researchers in the collective discussions that followed the performances. 3) We conducted 26 semi-structured in-depth interviews with Congolese researchers, focused on the core theme of this paper.