Academic Standards or Academic Imperialism? Zimbabwean perceptions of hegemonic power in the global construction of knowledge

Jeater, Diana

doi:10.1017/asr.2017.132

Cited by 15 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…current location, language). These biases result in an erasure of non-western authors that may rely on local or regional journals because of the inaccessibility and exclusivity of high-profile journals (even after considering publication discounts) (Jeater, 2018). Therefore, publications by western scientists carrying out research in non-western regions are valued and cited more widely than their local, non-western counterparts (Wight, 2021).…”

Section: Diversify Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

GC Insights: Diversifying the geosciences in higher education: a manifesto for change

Hall

Illingworth²,

Mohadjer³

et al. 2022

Geosci. Commun.

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Abstract. There is still a significant lack of diversity and equity in geoscience education, even after decades of work and widespread calls for improvement and action. We join fellow community voices in calls for improved diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in the geosciences. Here, in this manifesto, we present a list of opportunities for educators to bring about this cultural shift within higher education: (1) advocating for institutional change, (2) incorporating diverse perspectives and authors in curricula, (3) teaching historical and socio-political contexts of geoscience information, (4) connecting geoscience principles to more geographically diverse locations, (5) implementing different communication styles that consider different ways of knowing and learning, and (6) empowering learner transformation and agency.

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Section: Diversify Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

GC Insights: Diversifying the geosciences in higher education: a manifesto for change

Hall

Illingworth²,

Mohadjer³

et al. 2022

Geosci. Commun.

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“…For example, although a wide variety of academic journals exist across the world, the foundation of global academic knowledge is biased towards contributions from “high impact” academic journals, most of which operate in high-income countries (e.g., the United States, European Nations, etc.) and favor research produced from institutions in these same contexts [ 24 ]. This bias is an extension of the intellectual authority claimed by colonial powers as the developers of standards for “good” research, which are the standards most journals continue to use today [ 24 ].…”

Section: Bias In Evidence-based (Eb) and Evidence-informed (Ei) Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…and favor research produced from institutions in these same contexts [ 24 ]. This bias is an extension of the intellectual authority claimed by colonial powers as the developers of standards for “good” research, which are the standards most journals continue to use today [ 24 ]. This has resulted in a staggering inequality in academic thought that favors the ideological constructs of well-resourced nations, which have the means to meet the rigorous standards they themselves developed, over those with fewer resources, which also tend to be nations composed predominantly of communities of color [ 24 ].…”

Section: Bias In Evidence-based (Eb) and Evidence-informed (Ei) Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This bias is an extension of the intellectual authority claimed by colonial powers as the developers of standards for “good” research, which are the standards most journals continue to use today [ 24 ]. This has resulted in a staggering inequality in academic thought that favors the ideological constructs of well-resourced nations, which have the means to meet the rigorous standards they themselves developed, over those with fewer resources, which also tend to be nations composed predominantly of communities of color [ 24 ]. The same bias continues to be propagated within the domestic public health response, particularly in EB/EI research, which still uses an imperialistic framework when seeking to develop new ways to solve ongoing problems, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic.…”

Section: Bias In Evidence-based (Eb) and Evidence-informed (Ei) Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

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Shifting the narrative: equity, evidence, effectiveness, and innovation in the era of Ending the HIV Epidemic

Perez

Galván

Morejon

2022

Int J Equity Health

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Background The use of evidence-based (EB) and evidence-informed (EI) criteria in determining the effectiveness of health interventions has been widely adopted by national and international agencies in their attempt to address health gaps, particularly around Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiatives. Utilization of these rigorous standards has proven critical in making progress towards achieving EHE goals, yet many communities remain unreached and underserved despite widespread adoption of EB/EI standards in public health research and practice. Although a crucial tool for innovative healthcare delivery, emphasis on the use of EB/EI parameters has created bias within the cycle of knowledge creation that favors well-resourced institutions given their capacity to meet the rigorous evaluation standards required of EB/EI science. This bias can systematically exclude institutions more aligned with community needs, such as community-based organizations and other grass-roots initiatives, which may have long-standing interventions that more effectively engage marginalized groups but do not have the capacity to meet EB/EI standards. Main body This paper will explore the manifestation of systematic bias and research inequity in the process of identifying and assessing EB/EI HIV care interventions through the lens of a Health Resources and Services Administration funded initiative, coined the Center for Innovation and Engagement, which supports people living with HIV in the United States. An overview of the initiative is provided along with examples of how promising interventions with positive outcomes for members of marginalized communities are excluded in place of interventions that meet traditional standards of scientific rigor but are not novel or particularly innovative. Themes around academic imperialism and power hierarchies will be considered along with key barriers, lessons learned, and recommendations for promoting more equitable EB/EI research practice. Conclusions It is crucial for entities supporting public health interventions to prioritize equity and inclusion in all stages of funding, design, and implementation. This is particularly true for conditions, such as HIV, that disproportionally impact the most marginalized. This will require approaching EB/EI research with a critical lens towards power and a willingness to dismantle historical dynamics that perpetuate inequities as a way of encouraging truly innovative solutions to support those who need it most.

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“…As a result, African researchers are left little room, if any at all, to compete at the global stage, even in matters concerning the African continent. Following extensive analysis of interviews with senior university research managers in Zimbabwe, and on a public roundtable on Structural Inequalities in Global Academic Publishing, Jeater [59] finds that "When we ask who gets to represent the 'African perspective, ' we find it is decreasingly un-African. " Resource inequalities, hegemonic academic standards that undervalue Southern research traditions, and the unilateral power Northerners hold to validate research, all contribute to structural obstacles that amount to systemic exclusion of African scholarship from global health research.…”

Section: Power Asymmetriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Narratives and Counternarratives on Data Sharing in Africa

Abebe

Aruleba

Birhane

et al. 2021

Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency

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As machine learning and data science applications grow ever more prevalent, there is an increased focus on data sharing and open data initiatives, particularly in the context of the African continent. Many argue that data sharing can support research and policy design to alleviate poverty, inequality, and derivative effects in Africa. Despite the fact that the datasets in question are often extracted from African communities, conversations around the challenges of accessing and sharing African data are too often driven by non-African stakeholders. These perspectives frequently employ a deficit narratives, often focusing on lack of education, training, and technological resources in the continent as the leading causes of friction in the data ecosystem.We argue that these narratives obfuscate and distort the full complexity of the African data sharing landscape. In particular, we use storytelling via fictional personas built from a series of interviews with African data experts to complicate dominant narratives and to provide counternarratives. Coupling these personas with research on data practices within the continent, we identify recurring barriers to data sharing as well as inequities in the distribution of data sharing benefits. In particular, we discuss issues arising from power imbalances resulting from the legacies of colonialism, ethno-centrism, and slavery, disinvestment in building trust, lack of acknowledgement of historical and present-day extractive practices, and Western-centric policies that are ill-suited to the African context. After outlining these problems, we discuss avenues for addressing them when sharing data generated in the continent. CCS CONCEPTS• Computing methodologies → Artificial intelligence; • Social and professional topics → Government technology policy.

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Academic Standards or Academic Imperialism? Zimbabwean perceptions of hegemonic power in the global construction of knowledge

Cited by 15 publications

References 12 publications

GC Insights: Diversifying the geosciences in higher education: a manifesto for change

GC Insights: Diversifying the geosciences in higher education: a manifesto for change

Shifting the narrative: equity, evidence, effectiveness, and innovation in the era of Ending the HIV Epidemic

Narratives and Counternarratives on Data Sharing in Africa

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