Of all the sessions we had this year, one of the most impactful for me was Dr. Madhavi Manchi’s session on research positionality. She answered a lot of the questions that I didn’t know had been at the back of my mind since I started my Arts degree, the core of these being how any of the ideas I was bringing to the table could be valuable or original.
On one side of my degree (politics), people all over the world have been doing relevant research for centuries; the research on the other side of my degree (classics) has arguably been going on for several thousand years. So what new and innovative idea could possibly be yet to be explored, much less by me? For a first year uni student who didn’t decide on a degree until about a year ago, the things Dr. Manchi discussed ended up being invaluable in helping me to continue with any semblance of confidence along this path that I have chosen.
The sort of group-therapy session that we had following this reminded me that every person on this planet has a different relationship with history and the world. While it may have been frighteningly vulnerable or uncomfortable at times, I personally loved hearing everyone’s take on how they see their own positionality, and it was fascinating to learn about which aspects of life people believe to be the most influential in shaping who they are today.
While thinking over the question of positionality as I was trying to fall asleep the other night, I realised that there were a countless number of labels I could give myself—feminist, queer, student, jewish, asian, american, etc.—but one of the biggest things that make me who I am are the stories told to me throughout my life. I am a combination of all the people I have met and the stories they have given me, and that is a part of me that I will never be able to label.
My personality is built from the books that have made me cry, the films that have made me laugh, the poems that have connected me to people I will never know, the plays that transport me, and most of all, the people who have passed through and left something behind.
All this was slowly revealed to me not only during Dr. Manchi’s lecture, but equally just in being part of this class this year and getting to hear stories from all over the university, as well as from each and every one of my artschol classmates and mentors.
John Green said, “the opportunity of studying history is the opportunity to experience empathy.” I am nearly a quarter of my way through my BA/BGlobalSt degree, and I am so excited to continue learning and taking in stories both from the past and the present to keep empathizing and growing.
**all images are illustrations by Rupi Kaur because I love her work and she inspires me a lot <3
MIDORIIIIII, this was so good. I LOVE how you described yourself as an amalgamation of people you have met. Art Schol has really blessed us with the opportunity to meet people doing completely different (or exactly the same) things as ourselves. I love the illustrations in this and honestly, everything about this post makes it one of my favourite that I’ve read this year. Overall a big fat yes from me!!
Your questioning of what it is we bring to the table which makes our ideas valuable, is so highly interconnected with the idea of the stories that we are made of. This post really cemented that idea for me. We are all made infinitely varied and valuable because of what shapes us, and whilst this isn’t a new or revolutionary idea, its a comforting one. It reminds me that despite being part of huge cohorts seemingly studying the same thing, we all experience our education in vastly different ways, again providing us with a unique and original perspective. It is this idea of variation which gives university its value.
I also love the illustrations and what they add to the post :))
This was really nice to read thanks Midori! I don’t believe anyone is really one thing and that’s good because its the people in your life, the experiences you have had and the way you want to portray yourself is who you are and that certainly won’t be one thing! I had a teacher once that said “your name is just a label, it’s not who you are”. I always think about this and believe that no one should be labeled by what they are. I quite like the thought of our names being a label and if you don’t like it change it because it’s not who you are. A label shouldn’t be able to effect people and their life experiences the way that it often does, as they might run into people that don’t “like” their label. Instead your name is your label and you are who you are and that’s for others to learn – not to label you by.
This was a lovely post to read, Midori. You touch on a lot of ideas that I understand and others I hadn’t even considered. I think the idea of labels is so informative of the way we position ourselves in the world, but is often not the most encompassing, or defining characteristics we have. I think you’ve touched upon the complexity of our stories excellently, and you’re absolutely right – some parts of ourselves we can never label, and they are often the most important ones.
Before Manchi’s lesson, I hadn’t even considered that I carry my own biases into my work. I’m used to trying to find them in others’ writing but had never stopped to think about how my standing in society affects the way I write. You touch on another aspect of positionality I hadn’t considered – those smaller things. While my country, and my class are all informants, the movies I have watched and the books I have read are too. I also realized during POL106 that maybe the reason why I identify with Marxism so much is because I grew up really, really loving the Hunger Games.
This was a great post to read, and you’ve explored aspects of positionality I hadn’t even considered. Beautifully written as well, thank you!!
Midori I love you. This was an absolutely fantastic blog post. You’re completely right, it’s not only the experiences we’ve had that shaped us, but the media, narratives and people that shapes us just as much. I sometimes find labels rather stifling, as I feel they’ll never be able to reflect me in my entirety. You express this perfectly. There’s something magical about discovering the root cause of part of your identity, and being able to identify it and share it with others makes it even more special. Your perspectives on… well, perspectives really made me reflect on what I’ve learnt this year and how I’ve changed throughout due to the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met (like you). Our positionalites are constantly growing and changing just as we do, and I think you’ve encapsulated this endless evolution beautifully.
Thank you for this post and for being my friend :))