Hair-Power Performativity: A co-experimental braiding together of speculative fabulation and critical inquiry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1344/jnmr.v9.46929Keywords:
Feminism; academic practice; creative methods; speculative fabulations; empathy.Abstract
This article explores the intersection of hair and power through collaborative performative storytelling, drawing inspiration from Marco Melgrati's illustration 'Cut it Out!,' a tribute to Iranian women's protest. Recognized for fostering empathy, narratives have the potential to reshape ontological perceptions and confront the limitations of conventional uses of 'data' and 'theory' in research. Our research story encompasses these elements, revealing insights not only related to hair and power but also the embodied emotions influencing the research process. Rooted in Donna Haraway's speculative fabulation, we challenge the notion of storytelling as a means to create order, highlighting how fantasy writing uniquely entangles the personal and the political. The trans-cultural dimension gained through our international collaboration (three white female authors from Finland, United States, and Iran) adds layers of tension, pulling hair/power in diverse directions and uncovering insights otherwise unattainable, thereby fostering transformative engagement with the subject matter.
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