A Politics of Witnessing: Definitional Ceremony as Social Justice Work in Academia. Issue 3 (November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Strauven, Sarah
• Other Names: de Andrade Marisa guest-editor.; Fang Nini guest-editor.; Murray Fiona guest-editor.; Rodríguez-Dorans Edgar guest-editor.; Stenhouse Rosie guest-editor.; Wyatt Jonathan guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: International review of qualitative research. Volume 14:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 428
• Page End: 443
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Subjects: witnessing -- refugees -- academic activism -- social justice work -- narrative practice -- definitional ceremonies -- acknowledgment; Qualitative research -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Social justice -- Periodicals; Qualitative research; Social justice; Social sciences -- Research; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 001.42
• DOI: 10.1177/1940844720968203
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1940-8447

Abstract

The work outlined in this article has in part evolved as a response to Mr. Behrouz Boochani's call to academics to engage with his work. First, I propose academics consider a form of public engagement drawn from narrative practice as social justice work in academia. In the next section, I illustrate my argument with an Australian case by discussing (a) a peaceful resistance undertaken by the refugees on Manus Island through the lens of definitional ceremony, (b) a public witnessing response by Dr. Surma to the written account of Mr. Boochani of the resistance, and (c) his reply to this act of witnessing. I complement this with my own response to both scholars on account of witnessing their exchanges. In the final section of this article, I articulate in more detail how this proposition of conceiving social justice work in academia is based on a politics of witnessing and acknowledgment. I argue that its epistemological and ontological dimensions hold promise for post-qualitative inquiry and that narrative practices more generally, can assist us in performing relationally situated research.