Rooting Social Research in Indigenous and Participatory Ethos

• In Event: Critical Epistemologies of the Global South (Co-sponsored by Global and Transnational Sociology Section)

Abstract

Social science has long been shaped by Western Eurocentric frameworks that prioritize objectivity and isolate data from participating communities. In response to calls for artificial intelligence to replace researchers and systematize social science data, we argue instead for an ontological turn that recognizes research as a relational practice. Drawing from decolonial perspectives and our positionalities as scholars from the Global South, we call for a paradigm shift rooted in Indigenous and participatory ethos to develop standards that center relational accountability, humility, and data sovereignty for all social research, rather than positioning them as alternative methodologies for specific contexts. This paper contributes to ongoing conversations about decolonizing social science while offering concrete pathways for structural change in research practice, pedagogy, and publication standards. We envision social science as a practice of care, where stories are protected, power is shared, and research reflects the vivencias and aspirations of the communities it serves.

Authors

• Laurent Reyes, UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare

• Lorraine Torres Colon, University of California-Berkeley

• Samantha Keaulana-Scott, Department of Public Health Studies University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa