Episode 14: Book Club: Decolonizing Ethnography

In this podcast episode of Coloring Outside the Memos, Dr. Lizzy Bartelt and Dr. Tiffany Monique Quash discuss the book Decolonizing Ethnography: Undocumented Immigrants and New Directions in Social Science by Carolina Juárez, Marian Garcia, Lucia Juárez, and Daniel Goldstein. The book is unique as it involves both academics and undocumented immigrants in its authorship. It explores the process of conducting ethnographic research, particularly with undocumented immigrants in New Jersey from 2011-2015, a period when immigration policies were less stringent compared to the Trump administration era.

The hosts delve into the book's major themes, including the decolonization of ethnography, which emphasizes the need to shift away from the traditional Eurocentric, academic approach and focus more on the lived experiences and rights of marginalized communities, especially undocumented immigrants. The conversation also highlights the complex power dynamics and privileges within research and academia, challenging conventional methods of anthropology and ethnography that often objectify marginalized groups.