Roundtable: The challenges of researching feminist and LGBTQIA+ movements in the context of rising conservative and anti-gender politics and the ways to overcome them.

Abstract

The rise of opposition against gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights by anti-gender and radical right populist actors has revived important questions concerning objectivity and neutrality in knowledge production. Not only because of the pivotal role that knowledge production plays in anti-gender politics, but also in relation to how such politics themselves are researched. In this regard, it has raised the need to reflect, following Sandra Harding (2015) on how one’s research may affect the lives of the people who constitute the subjects of research? While this question concerns research on both anti-gender and feminist and LGBTQIA+ movements, the focus of this roundtable will be on the latter as they oppose and resist anti-gender politics. What are the challenges of doing research about such movements in times of opposition against gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights and of democratic backsliding? How can we make sure that our research contributes to democracy and social justice? And how can we be critical but not counterproductive? What are the risks of misuse and instrumentalization of critical research on feminist and LGBTQIA+ movements by conservative and anti-gender actors, and how can we prevent it? Do and should feminist and LGBTQIA+ activists have a voice regarding whether, which and how research should be conducted? Harding, S. (2015). Objectivity and diversity: Another logic of scientific research. University of Chicago Press.

Title	Details
Alexandra Ana	View Paper Details
Elżbieta Korolczuk	View Paper Details
Massimo Prearo	View Paper Details
David Paternotte	View Paper Details