Baillie Smith, Matt

Jenkins, Katy

English

Northumbria University Research Portal

Matt Baillie Smith and Katy JenkinsNorthumbria University, UK“Biographies of Activism” seminar, Newcastle University 21‐22nd June 2010 ‘Activism, Volunteering & Citizenship’ ESRC Seminar SeriesOverview? Consider life history methodologies as a way of capturing biographical accounts of activism and non‐elite cosmopolitanism? Argue that biographical methods may run the risk of reinscribing rather than challenging power relations? Explore the difficulty in disentangling cosmopolitan narratives of individuals and institutionsBiographical Methods: Unsettling Dominant Narratives of Development?? Life history methods extensively used in the global North, particularly as a mechanism for recording communities’ histories of struggle? Assumption that life history methods are transformational or emancipatory for participants whose voices have traditionally been marginalised? Not straightforward or unproblematic? Provide a partial & subjective account of events that reflect the narrator’s present circumstances as much as their past (Miles & Crush 1993; Harding 2006)“Through oral history, then, those often excluded from authoritative versions, can inscribe their experiences on the historical record and offer their own interpretations of processes which connect their stories with their present day circumstances.”(Kothari & Hulme 2004: 7)South India Case Study? Ongoing interest in problematising narratives of a cosmopolitan global civil society by engaging with actors largely ignored within most accounts of civil society and development (Baillie Smith & Jenkins in press)? NGO activists in the global South who fall between the grassroots and the professionalised sphere of international development? Shaped by concepts of cosmopolitanism and particularly ideas of ‘non‐elite openness to difference’ (Kothari 2008).? Life history approaches appeared to provide a potential way to capture:? the perspectives of non‐elite actors, and their accounts of engaging with and in the international development industry? the shifting temporal and spatial aspect of cosmopolitan subjectivities? Life history interviews with 15 NGO activists in summer 2009? “Can you tell us about how you became an activist and how your experiences have changed during your time as an activist”Emerging Tensions in Researching Activist Biographies? Key challenge that emerged – apparent reluctance of interviewee to narrate their personal history? Stories of organisations? Locating histories within well established genealogies of development practice (e.g. ‘basic needs’; ‘gender and development’)? Individual biographies and the ‘particular’ remained obscured or concealed? Personal experiences of ‘being’ cosmopolitan or becoming cosmopolitan obscured/downplayedLocating Activists’ Cosmopolitanisms? Identifying activists’ responses as problematic is effectively to construct a subjectivity into which we expect them to fit? “It is a mistake to assume that people everywhere regard biographical information as interesting or revealing in the way that many in the West imagine.” (Yarrow 2008: 336)? How were we and they ‘being cosmopolitan’ through the research process?? Research produced through and against histories and narratives of development – we are part of the relations that we want to problematise? Importance of social, political and cultural context in shaping understandings of activists’ cosmopolitanisms? Interaction of our own roots as researchers in increasingly neoliberalised context that values individuality and autonomy with interviewees’ context where collectivity and community have historically been emphasised? Many activists defined themselves in opposition to what they conceived as neoliberal and individualistic trajectories of younger activists Concluding Thoughts? Need to locate activists’ cosmopolitan subjectivities in particular social, cultural and historical context? Individuals may manifest their commitments to social justice through a range of institutional and apparently collective narratives? Conceptualising biographical interviewing as intersubjective may provide a more productive space for co‐creation of ideas

Situating South Indian activist biographies and subjectivities : the personal is problematic

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Citation: Baillie Smith, Matt and Jenkins, Katy (2010) Situating South Indian activist biographies and 
subjectivities : the personal is problematic. In: Activism, Volunteering and Citizenship seminar series: 
Biographies of Activism and Social Change, 21 - 22 June 2011, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
URL: 
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Matt Baillie Smith and Katy Jenkins
Northumbria University, UK
“Biographies of Activism” seminar, Newcastle University 21‐22nd June 2010 
‘Activism, Volunteering & Citizenship’ ESRC Seminar Series
Overview
Consider life history methodologies as a way of 
capturing biographical accounts of activism and non‐
elite cosmopolitanism
Argue that biographical methods may run the risk of 
reinscribing rather than challenging power relations
Explore the difficulty in disentangling cosmopolitan 
narratives of individuals and institutions
Biographical Methods: Unsettling 
Dominant Narratives of Development?
Life history methods extensively used in the global 
North, particularly as a mechanism for recording 
communities’ histories of struggle
Assumption that life history methods are 
transformational or emancipatory for participants 
whose voices have traditionally been marginalised
Not straightforward or unproblematic
Provide a partial & subjective account of events that 
reflect the narrator’s present circumstances as much 
as their past (Miles & Crush 1993; Harding 2006)
“Through oral history, then, those often 
excluded from authoritative versions, can 
inscribe their experiences on the historical 
record and offer their own interpretations 
of processes which connect their stories 
with their present day circumstances.”
(Kothari & Hulme 2004: 7)
South India Case Study
Ongoing interest in problematising narratives of a cosmopolitan 
global civil society by engaging with actors largely ignored 
within most accounts of civil society and development (Baillie 
Smith & Jenkins in press)
NGO activists in the global South who fall between the grassroots 
and the professionalised sphere of international development
Shaped by concepts of cosmopolitanism and particularly ideas 
of ‘non‐elite openness to difference’ (Kothari 2008).
Life history approaches appeared to provide a potential way to 
capture:
the perspectives of non‐elite actors, and their accounts of engaging 
with and in the international development industry
the shifting temporal and spatial aspect of cosmopolitan 
subjectivities
Life history interviews with 15 NGO activists in summer 2009
“Can you tell us about how you became an activist and how your 
experiences have changed during your time as an activist”
Emerging Tensions in Researching 
Activist Biographies
Key challenge that emerged – apparent reluctance of 
interviewee to narrate their personal history
Stories of organisations
Locating histories within well established genealogies 
of development practice (e.g. ‘basic needs’; ‘gender and 
development’)
Individual biographies and the ‘particular’ remained 
obscured or concealed
Personal experiences of ‘being’ cosmopolitan or 
becoming cosmopolitan obscured/downplayed
Locating Activists’ Cosmopolitanisms
Identifying activists’ responses as problematic is effectively 
to construct a subjectivity into which we expect them to 
fit
“It is a mistake to assume that people everywhere regard 
biographical information as interesting or revealing in the 
way that many in the West imagine.” (Yarrow 2008: 336)
How were we and they ‘being cosmopolitan’ through the 
research process?
Research produced through and against histories and 
narratives of development – we are part of the relations 
that we want to problematise
Importance of social, political and cultural context in 
shaping understandings of activists’ cosmopolitanisms
Interaction of our own roots as researchers in 
increasingly neoliberalised context that values 
individuality and autonomy with interviewees’ context 
where collectivity and community have historically 
been emphasised
Many activists defined themselves in opposition to 
what they conceived as neoliberal and individualistic 
trajectories of younger activists 
Concluding Thoughts
Need to locate activists’ cosmopolitan subjectivities in 
particular social, cultural and historical context
Individuals may manifest their commitments to social 
justice through a range of institutional and apparently 
collective narratives
Conceptualising biographical interviewing as 
intersubjective may provide a more productive space 
for co‐creation of ideas


http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/12611/1/Baillie_Smith_Situating.pdf

Situating South Indian activist biographies and subjectivities : the personal is problematic

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