positionality
puh-zish-un-AL-ih-tee
/pəˌzɪʃəˈnælɪti/
The social and political context that creates your identity in terms of race, class, gender, and ability, and how this influences your outlook.
It is the 'where you stand' in the social hierarchy, which determines what you can see and what you might miss.
The story behind the word. A relatively modern term that gained prominence in the 1980s. It combines 'position' (from Latin 'ponere', to place) with the suffix '-ality' to describe the state of being placed within a social structure.
Word relationships
- social location: A very similar term, but positionality is more commonly used in the context of research bias.
- neutrality: Neutrality implies having no bias or specific social standing, which positionality theory argues is impossible.
Commonly confused with
- standpoint: Standpoint theory is a specific philosophical school; positionality is the broader condition of having a social location.
Word family
- positional (adjective): Relating to a particular position.
Collocations
- researcher positionality
- acknowledge positionality
- social positionality
- positionality statement
Example sentences
- "Positionality is the notion that personal values and views are inseparable from the research process." Feminist theory
- "The researcher's positionality as a Western male made it difficult for him to gain the trust of the women's collective." Social research
Memory hook
Think of your 'position' on a map of society. Your 'positionality' is how that map affects your view. Positionality: Where you stand in society.
When not to use
Don't use it to mean just 'physical position' or 'opinion'.
Fun facts
- Many academic journals now require authors to include a 'positionality statement' to be transparent about their biases.
Related words
Explore more words
intersectionality, peer, positioning, contextualize, hybridity, inclusivity
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