Love as a Way of Knowing: The Transformative Power of Love in Culturally Responsive, Socially Responsible (CRSR) Methodologies

• In Event: Rocks Along the River: Developing Culturally Responsive and Socially Responsible Research Methods

Abstract

In Queretaro, Mexico, where I was born, there is a beautiful river called Rio Ayutla. There is a point at which two smaller rivers meet to form this larger river. The smaller rivers are quite unique, as warm water flows through one while cold water flows through the other. When these two smaller rivers meet, the water is so clear and crisp that it seduces people into swimming in it. The water flows with such a natural smooth silky way as it carries the earth’s creatures and living plants. Being an insider and an outsider, as a researcher, I feel a special connection with this river. The point at which the insider and the outsider researcher meet is the beautiful place I call Ayutla.
It is here where the magic of Culturally Responsive Socially Responsible (CRSR) research culminates into something very special. This special something is what allows me to flow in and out of the roles as I swim with the stream and sometimes even against the stream. This river is not always calm and peaceful, sometimes it swells up with a fury that uproots the weeds and sea plants and carries them for miles, thus relocating them, forcing them to make their home in an entirely different place. This river is the life, the nourishment and the sense of living for someone who is constantly swimming, constantly evolving and constantly learning. I am the Ayutla River.

In this paper, I take the readers on a captivating journey to deconstruct Love as a way of knowing and to understand how its transformative power enables ordinary Latina women to become empowered and take action. As I peel back the layers of Love, specific foundational principles emerge: Motivation, Passion, Compassion, Spirituality, Trust, Humility, Authenticity, Respect, and Resilience. Just as a rose has delicate petals that give it its beauty, these nine principles are the exquisite petals that form the flower of knowledge called love. These nine principles are further elaborated with the use of definitions, stories of women who embody each principle, and theorists who have been transformed by the power of Love. Writing of Love as a way of knowing in CRSR research is critical in order to challenge the traditional ways of knowing. It gives voice to those women who haven’t traditionally had a voice. It provides the space that allows creativity to be an accepted form of research.
Within this space, I explore the multiple roles I weave in and out of. I observe and analyze the ways in which to balance these dual roles without compromising who I am or the integrity of the women that collaborate with me. We must be motivated by love in order to undertake change - love of self, love of people, love of life. Loving gives us the energy and compassion to act in the face of hardship” (Moraga, xivii).

Author

• Norma Valenzuela, Chapman University