Disrupting power through reflexivity: new possibilities for researchers and teachers working with Dalits in Nepal

ABSTRACT

Sociologists of education have shown that schooling tends to favour the most powerful groups and that even well-intentioned researchers can run the risk of perpetuating some of the very power structures we seek to critique. In this paper we explore how a male, Brahmin researcher from Nepal (the highest caste group in Nepalese society) attempted to disrupt power in researching the educational experiences of the lowest caste group – the Dalits – in one public school in Nepal. Drawing on ethnographic data generated in the field, alongside feminist theorising about reflexivity and power in research, we illuminate daily events in the life of a government school in Nepal that worked to reproduce power, including interactions that were witnessed between a range of actors in the field. We consider how the researcher’s reflexivity enabled him to recognise power and attempt to disrupt it. We argue that the focus on the “how” of research – with power at the forefront of our thinking – can lead to seeing things in the field in new ways, with the potential to influence future research and teaching in the Nepalese context in order to work towards justice for Dalit students.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachers’ professional development
• reflexivity
• school education
• caste inequality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical declarations

Ethical approval was granted by the University Ethics Committee. Participants gave informed consent.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sudeep Khanal

Sudeep Khanal completed his PhD at Deakin University. Sudeep’s research focuses on understanding the effects of power and hierarchy on the educational experiences of Dalits in Nepal.

Claire Charles

Claire Charles is a senior lecturer at Deakin University. Claire’s research focuses on the sociology of education and advances understanding of social justice in education.