Methodological Refusal: How Songwriting as Composite Counterstorytelling is an Act of Resistance

• In Event: Inquiries of Liberation: Creativity, Solidarity, and Resistance in Qualitative Research

Abstract

In this paper, I share how a culturally-grounded methodology informed by Critical Race Feminism, became an act of resistance to dominant – and often exclusionary – narratives about Black girls with experiences in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Through engagement with multiple qualitative methods and counterstorytelling methodologies, I demonstrate how songwriting as a form of composite counterstorytelling can serve as a medium to not only share participants experiences but also challenge qualitative scholars to move beyond centering the pain narratives of individuals/communities (Tuck & Yang, 2014) and explore methods of representation that interrogate, challenge, and counter systems of power.

Author

• April M. Jones, University of Alabama