DECOLONIAL ANOMALIES OR HOW NOT TO BE A RESEARCHER-AS-COLONIZER

Abstract

As a researcher who proposes to dialogue with the epistemic universe of decoloniality, I understand that the association with this field of research goes beyond the very dynamics of the act of researching. It is also inscribed in a political dimension of commitment to the construction of another world, free from the shackles of coloniality, patriarchy, racism and capitalism. But this is not an easy task, as coloniality is ingrained in our lives, in the way we see the world, our relationships and ourselves. And this text is a bit of an account of how, as a researcher, I found myself reproducing colonizing perspectives and practices, even within a research that intends to be decolonial. And here I share with readers how I perceived myself, working with indigenous women, building a perspective marked by my civilizing and colonial feminism. It took me a while to realize this and the reflections presented here are precisely about the mistakes I made and which, unfortunately, may not be mine alone. Because I believe that other well-intentioned people can make the same kind of mistake when undertaking research that is intended to be decolonial, I decided to share some research confessions.