Secrecy and Silence in the Research Process

Feminist research is informed by a history of breaking silences, of demanding that women’s voices be heard, recorded and included in wider intellectual genealogies and histories. This has led to an emphasis on voice and speaking out in the research endeavour. Moments of secrecy and silence are less often addressed. This gives rise to a number of questions: What are the silences, secrets, omissions and political consequences of such moments? What particular dilemmas and constraints do they represent or entail? What are their implications for research praxis? Are such moments always indicative of voicelessness or powerlessness? Or may they also constitute a productive moment in the research encounter? Contributors to a new volume were invited to reflect on these questions. The resulting chapters are a fascinating collection of insights into the research process, making an important contribution to theoretical and empirical debates about epistemology, subjectivity and identity in research. Researchers often face difficult dilemmas about who to represent and how, what to omit and what to include. This one day seminar - sponsored by CCIG, Open University and the GENDER INSTITUTE, LSE - considers the implications of secrecy and silence for contemporary feminist epistemology and methodology. Speakers include Sara Ahmed (Goldsmiths), Linda McDowell (Oxford), Jane Parpart (UWI) and Gail Lewis (OU). The conference will be followed by a wine reception hosted by the LSE’s Gender Institute at 5.30PM. A conference flyer is attached below.