Consent practices in desire-based and beauty-affirming social science research

Abstract

In this article, we reflect on our practices of seeking consent as Indigenous and Black researchers engaged in social science research with Black, Indigenous and racialised youth and communities. We critique flimsy consent practices in social science that are extractive and superficial. This article has three discussions around consent in social science research: why we as Indigenous and Black people and researchers care about consent; harmful approaches to consent in social science research; and how harm commonly occurs in three dimensions of consent: consent around bodies, consent around stories and consent around artefacts. The third and final discussion describes the informal and formal ways that we practise consent in research projects created in the Tkaronto CIRCLE Lab consisting of Black, Indigenous and racialised research practitioners. We conclude this article by sharing the practices of consent we engage with as Indigenous and Black researchers to make desire-based and beauty-affirming social science research. What we share is also an invitation to other social scientists to engage in practices of consent that prioritise being in good relation with Black, Indigenous and racialised people and communities.