Imagining research as solidarity and grassroots globalisation: a response to Appadurai (2001)

Abstract

In response to Appadurai's ‘Grassroots globalization and the research imagination’, this paper explores some of the theoretical, ethical, methodological and practical issues of developing a ‘strong internationalisation’ of research with and amongst grassroots globalisation movements. Drawing on five years of solidarity and research experience between Colombia and the UK working with grassroots social movements I explore issues relating to knowledge production, the dialogical process of working with social movements and the potential for reclaiming the western academy as a site of social criticism and resistance. While sympathetic to the content and objectives of Appadurai's position the paper argues for a more holistic integration of research into broader processes of popular resistance to neo‐liberal globalisation. It also promotes a greater recognition for the role, value and development of the intellectual ‘outside’ of the academy and ‘inside’ grassroots globalisation movements.

Keywords:

• Activist research
• Critical ethnography
• Critical research
• Colombia
• Globalisation
• Anti‐globalisation

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Professors Susan Robertson and Roger Dale and the participants in the Prato Conference for their constructive and supportive comments and feedback on an earlier version of this paper.