Bringing Researchers Back In: Debating the Role of Interpretive Epistemology in Global IR

Abstract

The article discusses interpretive epistemology in international relations (IR) and its advantages to address the field's sociological composition, its scholars’ identity, and knowledge structuration. The research proposes to engage in sociological reflexivity on IR methods and the way in which knowledge accumulation and structuration are driven by canonical assumptions of what are considered “normal”/“good” scientific procedures. The central argument focuses on interpretive epistemological approaches as possible venues for research to participate in the collective effort to address, and redress, the imbalance between the sociology of the field and its knowledge production and structuration processes. By allowing dialogue around meanings and interpretation among increasingly diverse members, an interpretive stance on IR opens the floor to criticism and rival interpretations. More specifically, the paper presents the methodology of interpretive phenomenological analysis as a method which both emphasizes context and actor specificity with regard to the subject of study and fully acknowledges the researcher's identity and voice in scientific inquiry.

Humanitarian ignorance: towards a new paradigm of non‐knowledge in digital humanitarianism

“…Our outlined contribution means we focus on exploring what the notion of ignorance can bring to current humanitarian conceptions of non‐knowledge and decision‐making, not on theory development as it pertains to the sociological literature on ignorance. We employ an interpretivist analytical strategy of interweaving exemplary cases of datafication in humanitarian affairs with knowledge of different stages of humanitarian data collection, interpretation, and use (Vandamme, 2021). Our aim is to suggest a first conceptualisation of humanitarian ignorance as an inherent aspect of contemporary digital humanitarianism.…”