Affirming Methodologies Research and Education in the Caribbean

Affirming Methodologies is an innovative contribution to the theoretical landscape of the academy. As an approach, Affirming Methodologies centres often unheard Caribbean voices to epistemologically and ontologically position what it means to be Caribbean. There is, in this methodology, a subtle shift to claims of uniqueness, at once situated with decolonisation whilst simultaneously seeking the theoretical elevation of Caribbean social histories, lived lives, and practices that work to acknowledge the complexities inherent in such contexts. The text will benefit existing and emerging Caribbean scholars and non-Caribbean who need to be exposed to such knowledges.

Professor Tracey Bunda, Ngugi/Wakka Wakka, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland, Australia

This book, Affirming Methodologies: Research and Education in the Caribbean, is long overdue and sorely needed for so many reasons and on so many levels. First and foremost, however, is that the importance of capturing cultural perspectives in narratives, research, and best practices cannot be overstated. When research is absent of cultural perspectives, it is like an empty vessel. Cultural context is therefore essential to research and, when this is missing, the purpose, clarity of meaning, or sense of direction seem to be unclear or lost, like a missing piece of a puzzle. In research, it is the storyteller who shapes the imagination and belief of those who read and listen. Kudos to these editors for making the case for research and education from, and inclusive of, a Caribbean cultural perspective.

Kassie Freeman, President and CEO, African Diaspora Consortium (ADC)

This collection provides an in-depth overview and discussion on Affirming Methodological practices of, in and from the Caribbean space. The various chapters illustrate the strength, power and uniqueness of local and indigenous knowledges, within a context where historically louder global North discourses and practices have often dominated and disregarded local voices and ways of knowing. The book takes on these ontological distinctions from within the Caribbean research context and asks important questions about how and what can we know by building from Caribbean positionality. What does it mean to be a Caribbean researcher or the researched? What are the unique traditions, values, and respectabilities of the Caribbean missing from academia and research? How is an affirming methodology distinct to a decolonial one? And much more. This book will be of great value to researchers everywhere.

Dr Dylan Kerrigan, School of Criminology, University of Leicester, UK