(Un)Doing reflexivity: white researchers on their credibility and legitimacy in the field of ethnic and racial studies

Abstract

ABSTRACT Positionality and (racialised) positions of power have become crucial topics in the field of ethnic and racial studies, resulting in a growing number of self-reflexive papers on power relations in so-called “cross-ethnic” or “cross-racial” research. However, there has been little comprehensive empirical examination of how researchers navigate questions of positionality when studying ethnic and racial diversity and inequality. This article addresses how white researchers working on these topics aim to establish credibility and legitimacy in the postcolonial context of Flanders, Belgium. Drawing on in-depth interviews, we explore how our respondents (re)construct legitimate motivations for conducting their research, and identify five strategies they use to establish credibility: (a) acknowledging their whiteness; (b) pointing to institutional responsibility, (c) shifting their research focus to white groups or adopting what they consider more “neutral” approaches, (d) claiming experiences with the topic under scrutiny and (e) referring to how ethnic minority groups “approve” their research.