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ABSTRACT
Marginalised peoples, especially marginalised youth, are among those least able to exercise their rights to participate in processes of social change that affect them, to be heard and understood, to be accepted as authentic knowers and to share in the co-creation of political awareness and social knowledge, a condition Miranda Fricker has labelled epistemic injustice. Yet, in many societies, youth are uniting to demand to be heard and to claim their right to participate in the creation of political and social change at home and globally. Based on 25 interviews in 10 countries, we examine the experience of marginalised youth activists as it relates to epistemic injustice. Next, we canvas the capabilities needed for epistemic justice in activism. We then discuss both the processes we undertook to identify and connect with young activists and the unexpected learning we derived from this endeavour as well as the potential of peer-engaged research (PER) in reducing epistemic injustice in scholarship. This leads us to udentify six capabilities important for peer researchers. We conclude by making the case that PER has the potential to be a valuable tool for enhancing the work of grassroots activists as well as the authenticity of university-based research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 This study defines youth as anyone age 35 and under.
2 The details of our findings from these interviews will be examined in-depth in a subsequent paper more broadly focused on the strategies and obstacles faced by marginalised youth activities. The findings discussed here focus on epistemic inequality.
3 We thank the U.S. Fulbright Committee for its support of this research.
4 One of the interviewees, “Maxim”, was recognised by the international community as a political prisoner during his incarceration in Moldova. Kosko spoke with him through an interpreter.
5 We thank the First Year Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE) programme for selecting and training these students and the Maryland Summer Scholars programme for its financial support.
6 The authors would like to express our gratitude to Olasimbo Akinfeleye for contributions to our literature review.
7 Kosko did not participate in this interview but viewed the recording of it after the fact.
8 A full analysis of this data will be the heart of a subsequent paper.
9 We will examine each of these factors and trends in detail in the companion paper to this one.
10 These are explained in Leivas Vargas et al. Citation2020, 94–95.
11 In the next section of this paper, we will discuss the capabilities that are enhanced or supported through peer-engaged research, and that in turn help to support epistemic freedoms for the youth activists participating in this study.
12 “Gypsy” is a pejorative English word for the many Romani peoples. “Ţigani”, the Romanian word for “Roma” and the word used for the name of this festival, is especially offensive.
13 “Title IX of the Higher Education Act promises equal access to education for all students and it protects them against discrimination on the basis of sex” (U.S. Department of Education Citation2021).
14 This includes journalism in its many forms, not only academic research.
15 To be fair, most of the interviewees were either college-bound or at least partially college-educated, like the four members of the interview team, which already puts them in a position of privilege relative to many of their other age-peers. The privilege of education was one of the elements that seemed to give these activists both an edge and a platform that their less privileged peers would have lacked. It reduces some of the effects of distributive epistemic injustice (Fricker Citation2013). We will explore this aspect further in the companion paper.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Stacy J. Kosko
Stacy J. Kosko is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, with a focus on development ethics, human rights, and marginalized populations. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Moldova and is a Fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association, on the board of the International Development Ethics Association, and Director of Research and Strategy at the Center for Values in International Development. She holds a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, an MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a Certificate in Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies.
Aimee Dastin
Aimee Dastin is a student at the University of Maryland pursuing her passions for the performing arts, public policy, international development, and law through a double degree in Economics (B.S.) and Theater (B.A.) with minors in Arts Leadership, International Development and Conflict Management, and Law and Society. She has worked as a Research Intern with the Center for Values in International Development, a Research Assistant for the Center for International Development and Conflict Management, an LHSS Project Intern at Abt Associates, a Legislative Intern for Delegate Pamela Queen, and is an incoming Summer Analyst at Cornerstone Research.
Maddy Merrill
Maddy Merrill is a Government and Politics and French major at the University of Maryland and a member of the UMD Honors College, the Federal Fellows Program, and Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity. She works as a peer mentor for the First-Year Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE) in the Global Development and Design stream. She enjoys playing soccer for the Maryland Women’s Club Team and exploring D.C. museums. She has served as a Legislative Intern for U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), and with The Raben Group, a progressive government affairs firm. She is also a registered election judge.
Roma Sheth
Roma Sheth is a University of Maryland student in Government and Politics (Honors) with a minor in astronomy. She is a peer mentor in the First Year Innovation & Research Experience (FIRE) program for the Global Development and Design stream, the executive director of Empowering Women in Law, and a member of Mock Trial and Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity. An independent artist and music producer and a human rights activist, she creates infographics, protests, and levies social media. She is co-developing a program to provide resources for minorities and lobby for equal access to higher education.