POSITIONALITY

When pondering the conclusions and findings of this research, it is important to consider the context from which it was derived. Due to the fact that this paper was co-researched, the positionality of the researchers has significant impact on the methodology utilized to conduct research, from framing the research questions to interpreting information told and observed. The co-researchers are of different nationalities and have different backgrounds influencing their individual approach to the topic at hand.

Aune Nuyttens is Finnish-Belgian Global Studies Major at St. Lawrence University, in upstate New York. Global Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study  that seeks to understand global processes, political economy, and the intersectionality of our identities with close attention to student’s own positionality in the subject matter. In her previous course work, Aune has investigated gender disparities in Costa Rica, Senegal and Nepal which provided an understanding of the cultural, regional and religious differences that influence the status of women. In addition, research methods and ethics have been a central element to not only to Global Studies but also to SIT’s Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples Program which both of the students participated in. Although, vulnerable female populations, such as the Dalit women have been a central component in Aune’s academic work, this was the first time the researcher took a close look at the incarceration system.  

Mikayla Rose is a university student from the United States, studying Human Factors Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship at Tufts University in Boston. It is important to note that Mikayla distinctly has no background in sociology, anthropology, ethnography, or any other humanities-based education. Central to best practices in Human Factors Engineering however, are interviews utilized to determine user-needs, as well as iterative usability testing. This type of research unexpectedly prepared Mikayla for field research on female prisoners and their children, by giving her experience conducting observational research and in preparing non-leading interview questions. Having no strong roots in academia, the researcher was especially motivated to disperse the knowledge gathered from this research to make it more widely accessible to the general public. Mikayla has no previous experience studying systems of incarceration or vulnerable peoples beyond the SIT course content on Tibetan Peoples in exile in the months leading up to this month-long research project.

Equally important to contextualizing our findings is an understanding of the potential impact of our status as outsiders in Nepal. This status likely played a role in influencing the types of interactions and types of responses received. Our research exists in Nepal with a greater context of foreign involvement in the form of NGOs, Non-Profits, and missionaries with varying perceptions on their positive vs. negative impact. For the white color of our skin and our status as foreigners, we were denied entrance from one out of the five prisons we attempted to conduct research at. The Jailor at this prison revealed his distrust in foreigners due to his past experience with missionaries coming in and trying to convert his prisoners. Knowing this context of foreigner involvement in prison systems in Nepal is significant in contextualizing interactions with Jailors, Guards and Prisoners alike.

Additionally, it is worth noting that while conducting research, two prisoners asked if the researchers were members of an NGO, and if we were bringing in any supplies. This is an important context of foreigner interaction to consider. Perhaps the prisoners were more reluctant to interact with the researchers for this reason. Our co-researcher, and NGO founder herself, who accompanied us to many of the prisons we entered, noted a history of disappointment with foreigners and NGOs. She recounted that throughout her 30 years working with prisoners, she has seen many NGOs come in to prisons, collect data and make promises for change without following through, leaving the prisoners with a bad taste in their mouth. One of the Jailors we interviewed echoed this sentiment, stating that he’s seen more than 10 NGOs and researchers enter his prison just this year who didn’t follow through with their promises.

Likewise, it is important to note the conditions under which the researchers entered the three out of four prisons we were permitted entrance into. For three entries into prisons, we were accompanied by a woman who has established unique relationships with the Jailors, Guards and Prisoners alike over the course of the past 30 years due to her work at an NGO which provides services and directs programs to prisoners and their children. Utilizing this woman as our co-researcher (and translator) could have influenced many things including; the prisoners who came forward as willing to participate in group or individual interviews, the type of responses received from prisoners, potentially skewed responses due to the translator’s intentional or unintentional interjection of her own personal experience, perceptions, and value hierarchy on the content of the prisoners’ responses.

In addition to our own positionality as we entered prisons to conduct interviews, we must also consider the settings in which these interviews took place in. For every interview conducted in the prisons, one or more of the following were present; a prison Guard, Jailor, NGO representative, Naike and 4+ fellow prisoners in nearby proximity. Methodologically speaking, this does not represent best research practices, as the prisoners were clearly not entirely free to express controversial opinions and might not have felt comfortable sharing some stories or experiences in this setting. This was unfortunately unavoidable, however, due to the regulations of the prisons we entered.