Paul is an assistant professor of Sociology, and his research agenda is focused on the Great Northward Migration, the 20th century movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban Northeast, Midwest and West. A pattern of critique has begun to emerge as Paul presents papers at scholarly conferences. Fellow panelists and attendees have begun to openly question and critique the legitimacy of his research agenda, citing his perspective as a white man. Paul begins to feel defensive and distressed as colleagues suggest that his inquiry into the experiences of people of color is potentially misguided or even harmful.
Paul wants to remain open to criticism and contemplate the implications of his past research and possible redirections for his future scholarship. But he is distracted by the overwhelming pressure he feels to produce adequate publications in pursuit of tenure. Paul is aware of community -and participatory research methods, and while he is amenable to research practices, engaging in such projects within a short timeline is not feasible.
As a shorter-term solution, Paul reaches out to trusted colleagues to create reflexivity partnerships, where together they raise one another’s consciousness and facilitate critical self-examination. Paul maintains these relationships throughout the tenure process in an attempt to unearth, confront, and mitigate socialized biases. Meanwhile, Paul continues his research and planning for community-based research methods and contemplates potential shifts in his research agenda.
- The Issue: Paul receives feedback on the limitations of his scholarship connected to his experience as a white man. He is urged to redirect his scholarship, and Paul is ambivalent about the feasibility of shifting his agenda while pursing tenure.
- The Deliberation: Paul pushes through his ambivalence and other overwhelming feelings to consider opportunities for flexibility and compromise.
- The Growth: Paul discerns short-term and long-term solutions to reconcile the limits of his research agenda and utilizes consciousness building relationships to recognize the impact of his socialization as a white man on the outcome of his research.