Insider, outsider or in-between? A researcher’s evolving positionality in conducting studies about Chinese rural land reform in China and Belgium

Abstract

This essay delves into the impacts of adopting an insider/outsider (in-betweenness) positionality in the context of studying China’s land reform in China and Belgium. Utilising insights gained from my fieldwork experiences and the composition of two articles – one emphasising the economic implications of the reform and the other exploring its theoretical dimensions – I emphasise the significance of the place of knowledge production, particularly my epistemological and methodological training experience in Belgium. This experience has played a pivotal role in shaping my in-betweenness positionality, providing a framework for reflective research framing and presenting my findings. In essence, this essay contends that embracing an in-betweenness positionality is essential for producing research that is not only academically rigorous but also practically relevant, attuned to the complexities of the social issues under investigation.