What difference does difference make? Position and privilege in the field

Link to Journal Article Here

Who It’s For: Researchers who understand the concept of positionality but want to better understand how and to what extent this shapes the structure and substance of a research study.

Why We Love It: Understanding the impact of a researcher’s social location on their work is complex. This article delves into dissecting how social identity influences the research process through a critical examination of the authors’ own research projects (i.e., reflexivity). It’s incredibly illuminating to see how reflexivity is done, and how it helps to reveal problems associated with privilege and difference in research. It also helps ground an understanding of how community-engaged research can help to attenuate the influence of positionality in research by intentionally involving individuals with diverse social identities in the process.

Citation: McCorkel, J. A., & Myers, K. (2003). What difference does difference make? Position and privilege in the field. Qualitative sociology, 26, 199-231.