Decolonizing Qualitative Research through Black-White Researcher Collaboration: The Experiences of a Black Academic from a Small Island Developing State with Transcultural Research

The physical and symbolic antagonism that historically exists between Blacks and Whites has trickled its way into global academia. Although there is a growing body of knowledge on the decolonization of research, emphasising the need to involve the marginalized and oppressed in knowledge production, much of the ongoing narratives have been centred on Indigenous peoples who live in places such as Australia whilst generally ignoring Black and island nations being researched by overseas scholars.

The marginalization experienced by some Black academics depicts ‘academic colonialism’ in which researchers from the Global North conducting research in poorer nations may exclude the host researchers from various aspects of the research process, even when both parties agree to collaborate. However, I am motivated to share my experiences- which were respectful and equitable- with two Caucasian researchers from a university in the Global North who collaborated with me to study women’s lived experiences with climate change in Jamaica.

Central to my advocacy in this paper is the need for Global North researchers conducting studies in the Global South to align their research plans with the five pillars of academic integrity: respect, fairness, honesty, trust, and responsibility. It is my hope that my shared experiences, along with my proposed framework for decolonizing research can contribute to a more just knowledge production.

Teams link: Decolonizing Qualitative Research through Black-White Researcher Collaboration: The Experiences of a Black Academic from a Small Island Developing State with Transcultural Research