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Narratives of Positionality in Primatology: Foreign/Range–Country Collaborator Perspectives from Africa and South America

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Abstract

Primate research and conservation may inadvertently reproduce neocolonial dynamics when primatologists from affluent, imperialist nations conduct studies in primate habitat countries. Here, we consider how interrogating the positionality of both foreign researchers and range-country collaborators can strengthen primatology. Such consideration may help us to better understand where each member of the collaboration is coming from, both figuratively and literally, and how those situated perceptions shape the research process. Centering the perspectives of the range-country collaborators, whose perspectives are infrequently voiced within the primatology literature, may illuminate challenges in cross-cultural communication and imbalances of knowledge and power. Here, we explore how positionality shapes collaborative research through the narratives of two foreign/range-country collaborator teams doing primate research and conservation in Africa and South America. Our goal is to provide examples that consider the positionalities of range-country collaborators relative to both foreign researchers and local community members, and that serve as models for primate researchers as they consider their own research teams’ positionalities. These narratives highlight how prioritizing the perspectives of range-country and local collaborators when they differ from those of foreign collaborators can strengthen future research and conservation efforts.

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Acknowledgements

This manuscript was inspired from conversations originating in a roundtable on “What works and what doesn’t work? The challenges of creating effective applied research in human-modified habitats,” organized by Aimee Oxley, Kate Hill, and Giuseppe Donati for the joint European Federation for Primatology/Primate Society of Great Britain 2019 meeting, and particularly influenced by conversations brought up by Sian Waters and Aimee Oxley on positionality. The concept of this manuscript was further developed by the IUCN Primate Specialist Group Section for Human–Primate Interactions webinar on Decolonising Primatology, co-organized by Sian Waters and Susan Cheyne, which included talks by Seheno Andriantsaralazo, June Mary Rubis, and Jo Setchell. The initial manuscript concept was to include perspectives from Susan Cheyne and her Indonesian colleagues with the Borneo Nature Foundation, Adul, Jito Sugarjito, amd Darmae Nasir. Although time constraints prevented them from contributing to this manuscript, we appreciate Susan’s work on advancing this topic and look forward to seeing how they apply these discussions to further work within the Indonesian Primate Society.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Cultural Sciences, Marquette University, LaLumiere Hall 340, 1310 W. Clybourn St, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA

    Michelle A. Rodrigues

  2. Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project, Hoima, Uganda

    Vicent Kiiza & Matthew R. McLennan

  3. School of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

    Matthew R. McLennan

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória - ES, Brazil

    Sérgio L. Mendes

  5. National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA), Santa Teresa - ES, Brazil

    Sérgio L. Mendes

  6. Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Karen B. Strier

Authors
  1. Michelle A. Rodrigues
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  2. Vicent Kiiza
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  3. Matthew R. McLennan
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  4. Sérgio L. Mendes
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  5. Karen B. Strier
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Contributions

MAR developed the manuscript based on a concept originating from the special issue editors, and wrote the introduction and methods. VK/MRM and SLM/KBS each wrote their respective narratives. MAR, MRM, and KBS wrote the discussion, and MRM, SLM and KBS provided editorial advice throughout.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michelle A. Rodrigues.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Handling Editor: Joanna M. Setchell

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Rodrigues, M.A., Kiiza, V., McLennan, M.R. et al. Narratives of Positionality in Primatology: Foreign/Range–Country Collaborator Perspectives from Africa and South America. Int J Primatol 43, 1133–1158 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-022-00311-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-022-00311-0

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