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The decolonizing responsibility of a “White” girl: an autoethnographic deconstruction of Indigenous (mis)representations

Hedlund, Selma LU (2013) MRSK60 20122
Human Rights Studies
Abstract
None of us are immune to the heritage of colonialism. Intersecting hierarchies of dominance and oppression are perpetuated every day, from top institutions down to personal interactions. This study argues that White, Western scholars working for social justice have a decolonizing responsibility to locate themselves in this hierarchy in order to avoid reproducing it with their research.
The author of this thesis uncovers her own subjectivity by using autoethnography when attempting to deconstruct colonialist Indigenous stereotypes and misrepresentations that have been embraced by Swedish society. The purpose is to find an appropriate role for a Western scholar to play in the decolonizing project. The process is informed by Native... (More)
None of us are immune to the heritage of colonialism. Intersecting hierarchies of dominance and oppression are perpetuated every day, from top institutions down to personal interactions. This study argues that White, Western scholars working for social justice have a decolonizing responsibility to locate themselves in this hierarchy in order to avoid reproducing it with their research.
The author of this thesis uncovers her own subjectivity by using autoethnography when attempting to deconstruct colonialist Indigenous stereotypes and misrepresentations that have been embraced by Swedish society. The purpose is to find an appropriate role for a Western scholar to play in the decolonizing project. The process is informed by Native American voices of different ages and backgrounds.
White researchers working with Natives is a controversial topic, but it is maintained that the main object of observation is the White Self as a product of dominant Western society. The study shows that colonialist expression through stereotypization and cultural appropriation holds both nostalgic and political value to the privileged, reproduced at the expense of the peoples historically disadvantaged by colonialism. In other words, there is a clear reluctance in both the U.S. and Sweden to let the reality interfere with the fantasy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hedlund, Selma LU
supervisor
organization
course
MRSK60 20122
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
representation, Western, Indigenous, Native, colonialism, autoethnography, decolonizing, human rights, mänskliga rättigheter
language
English
id
3564202
date added to LUP
2013-05-23 10:50:25
date last changed
2022-07-06 10:03:45
@misc{3564202,
  abstract     = {{None of us are immune to the heritage of colonialism. Intersecting hierarchies of dominance and oppression are perpetuated every day, from top institutions down to personal interactions. This study argues that White, Western scholars working for social justice have a decolonizing responsibility to locate themselves in this hierarchy in order to avoid reproducing it with their research.
 	The author of this thesis uncovers her own subjectivity by using autoethnography when attempting to deconstruct colonialist Indigenous stereotypes and misrepresentations that have been embraced by Swedish society. The purpose is to find an appropriate role for a Western scholar to play in the decolonizing project. The process is informed by Native American voices of different ages and backgrounds. 
White researchers working with Natives is a controversial topic, but it is maintained that the main object of observation is the White Self as a product of dominant Western society. The study shows that colonialist expression through stereotypization and cultural appropriation holds both nostalgic and political value to the privileged, reproduced at the expense of the peoples historically disadvantaged by colonialism. In other words, there is a clear reluctance in both the U.S. and Sweden to let the reality interfere with the fantasy.}},
  author       = {{Hedlund, Selma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The decolonizing responsibility of a “White” girl: an autoethnographic deconstruction of Indigenous (mis)representations}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}