Paper short abstract:

Discussion on the empirical and experiential experiences of the Global South researchers based in the Western academia conducting research in their non-home Global South countries and how this entanglement of positionality, ethics and power contributes to knowledge creation on development studies.

Paper long abstract:

Development studies in western academia remain a discipline focusing on researching the challenges and issues of the so called ‘Global South’. In this context, developing country researchers, based in Northern institutions, are often questioned about their choice of research geographies if it differs from their ‘home’ countries in the Global South. Why Western researchers’ inquiry for ‘the other’ in developing countries is often presumed to be a matter of ‘scholarly’ choice.

This paper aims to problematize the power (as a function for knowledge) upheld in the knowledge creation of development studies (as a power exercise) within the Western academia by taking a closer look into the positionality and methodological experiences of developing country researchers work. The authors reflect on their own experiences based in Northern institutions, conducting research in East Africa – this positionality raise questions on race, gender, colour, and south-south relations. By reflecting through diverse and multi-layered insider and outsider experiences and research collaboration, the article sheds light on the current knowledge creation structure and approaches that usually depart from and impose the Western gaze on developing country researchers, as well as south-south relational dynamics.

Thus, the paper illustrates the experiences of the researchers and critiques knowledge production in the field. We also situate the empirical and experiential experiences of the developing country researchers in a conceptual discussion on the entanglement of knowledge and power as enabling forces for shift and how power shifts within the development studies and practice could potentially happen with the developing country researchers.