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=Emotional Responses=


Among such initial affective responses were dissociation, defensiveness, and resistance. V.C. De Groot, for example, being immersed in a relationship with the community of Gjoa Haven to a degree not shared by the other academic members of the research team, took such negative perceptions of research to reflect directly on his personal research history with Gjoa Haven. Initially V.C. de Groot defended himself, by pointing out how he has repeatedly reminded the members of the Gjoa Haven HTA throughout their respective collaborations that expectations of outcomes resulting in an upward revision of quota were not going to be met in the shorter term by their shared work. One of the opportunities that a testimonial reading offers us, however, is to acknowledge the role of emotions and explore how they reflect the stakes at play when we conceptualize ourselves as implicated subjects.  Instead of reacting in more “knee-jerk”, or defensive manners, a testimonial reading redirects one towards exploring responses that may assist in becoming a more accountable research partner towards the communities one collaborates with.  
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De Wildt, Whitelaw and Lougheed did not perceive Gjoa Haven’s critique of research outcomes as directed towards V.C de Groot’s prior work in the community per se. Rather they saw such comments as expressing frustration with research practices in general, extending beyond projects related to polar bears - and as a critique of the GN, in particular towards their surveys leading to Gjoa Haven’s near moratorium, and their subsequent lack of timely accountability towards the community. The initial affective response from those three academic partners ranged from defensiveness about the legitimacy of scientific research, a fear of losing community support, and guilt or cognitive dissonance between (violent) historical research practices, and on our current research practices and collaboration.
One of the opportunities that a testimonial reading offers us is to acknowledge the role of emotions and explore how they reflect the stakes at play when we conceptualize ourselves as implicated subjects.


Our initial responses varied from defensiveness about the legitimacy of scientific research, a fear of losing community support, guilt, and cognitive dissonance between (violent) historical research practices and on our current research collaboration.


One of the BearWatch co-PI's, van Coeverden-de Groot, who has had a collaborative relationship with the community of Gjoa Haven to a degree not shared by the other academic members of the research team, took such negative perceptions of research to reflect directly on his personal research history with Gjoa Haven.


=<span id="Unsettlement"></span>Unsettlement=
The other researchers, did not perceive Gjoa Haven’s critique of research outcomes as directed towards the defensive PI's prior work in the community per se. Rather they saw such comments as expressing frustration with research practices in general, extending beyond projects related to polar bears - and as a critique of the Government of Nunavut. In particular towards their surveys leading to Gjoa Haven’s near moratorium, and their subsequent lack of timely accountability towards the community.


Initial affective responses, as they inevitably happen along the course of research, are often left unmentioned in academic publications in favour of more sanitized, cognitive or rational responses. Emotions are deemed to stay out of research. As a result, many academics do not know how to examine and articulate their feelings towards their own work (Daly, 2005). This can perpetuate oppression, as unexamined emotions like guilt, might lead to denial, or defensiveness that prevent us from studying how affective responses influence practices and choices made within research. Guilt, for example, can form a trap of one remaining oriented on the past (Young, 2010). Conducting a testimonial reading can assist us in acknowledging the unsettlement that our affective responses clearly speak to. Rather than letting it trap us into passive feelings of guilt, or lure us towards superficial forms of empathy, testimonial readings allow us to acknowledge, and explore such unsettlement more meaningfully- for example through an ethics of responsibility, which allows us to be future-oriented by questioning how historical contributions relate to present conditions.


<span class="pop-up stay-with-the-trouble link" data-page-title="Speaking_truth_to_power" data-section-id="0" data-encounter-type="Stay_with_the_trouble">[[Speaking truth to power|Stay with the trouble: "Speak Truth to Power"]]</span>
 
<div class="next_choice">Feel free to share your own response on this '''[https://padlet.com/dewildtsaskia/knowledge-land-scape-y0u3ps0t2dxuaskk/ padlet]'''
 
Keep in mind that the padlet, and your responses are publicly accessible by anyone with the link.</div>
 
=Vulnerability=
 
Initial affective responses, as they inevitably happen along the course of research, are often left unmentioned in academic publications in favour of more sanitized, cognitive or rational responses.
 
Emotions are deemed to stay out of research. As a result, many academics do not know how to examine and articulate their feelings towards their own work<ref>Daly, B. (2005) “Taking Whiteness Personally: Learning to Teach Testimonial Reading and Writing in the College Literature Classroom,” Pedagogy, 5(2), pp. 213–246. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1215/15314200-5-2-213.</ref>.
 
This can perpetuate oppression, as unexamined emotions like guilt, might lead to denial, or defensiveness that prevent us from studying how affective responses influence practices and choices made within research. Guilt, for example, can form a trap of one remaining oriented on the past<ref>Young, I.M. (2010) Responsibility for Justice. Oxford University Press.</ref>.
 
<div class="next_choice">Rather than letting it trap us into passive feelings of guilt, or lure us towards superficial forms of empathy, testimonial readings allow us to acknowledge, and explore such unsettlement more meaningfully. However, in doing so, we should beware to not make a move towards innocence. </div>
 
 
 
<small><references /></small>
 
<span class="pop-up stay-with-the-trouble link" data-page-title="Moves Towards Innocence" data-section-id="0" data-encounter-type="Moves Towards Innocence">[[Moves Towards Innocence|Stay with the trouble: Moves towards innocence]]</span>

Latest revision as of 13:25, 20 July 2025

Emotional Responses[edit]

One of the opportunities that a testimonial reading offers us is to acknowledge the role of emotions and explore how they reflect the stakes at play when we conceptualize ourselves as implicated subjects.

Our initial responses varied from defensiveness about the legitimacy of scientific research, a fear of losing community support, guilt, and cognitive dissonance between (violent) historical research practices and on our current research collaboration.

One of the BearWatch co-PI's, van Coeverden-de Groot, who has had a collaborative relationship with the community of Gjoa Haven to a degree not shared by the other academic members of the research team, took such negative perceptions of research to reflect directly on his personal research history with Gjoa Haven.

The other researchers, did not perceive Gjoa Haven’s critique of research outcomes as directed towards the defensive PI's prior work in the community per se. Rather they saw such comments as expressing frustration with research practices in general, extending beyond projects related to polar bears - and as a critique of the Government of Nunavut. In particular towards their surveys leading to Gjoa Haven’s near moratorium, and their subsequent lack of timely accountability towards the community.


Feel free to share your own response on this padlet Keep in mind that the padlet, and your responses are publicly accessible by anyone with the link.

Vulnerability[edit]

Initial affective responses, as they inevitably happen along the course of research, are often left unmentioned in academic publications in favour of more sanitized, cognitive or rational responses.

Emotions are deemed to stay out of research. As a result, many academics do not know how to examine and articulate their feelings towards their own work[1].

This can perpetuate oppression, as unexamined emotions like guilt, might lead to denial, or defensiveness that prevent us from studying how affective responses influence practices and choices made within research. Guilt, for example, can form a trap of one remaining oriented on the past[2].

Rather than letting it trap us into passive feelings of guilt, or lure us towards superficial forms of empathy, testimonial readings allow us to acknowledge, and explore such unsettlement more meaningfully. However, in doing so, we should beware to not make a move towards innocence.


  1. Daly, B. (2005) “Taking Whiteness Personally: Learning to Teach Testimonial Reading and Writing in the College Literature Classroom,” Pedagogy, 5(2), pp. 213–246. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1215/15314200-5-2-213.
  2. Young, I.M. (2010) Responsibility for Justice. Oxford University Press.

Stay with the trouble: Moves towards innocence