The trepidations of a PhD researcher – Who are you and why are you here?

Abstract

This paper contributes to research that has a predominant focus on Western researchers in the global South. First, the paper examines how my African identity fits into a Western discourse of being a researcher and their intersections with my other personalities as I world-travel. “World-travelling” is about the plurality of selves and an opening for self-construction. Second, the paper elaborates on violence and intimidation in the field and how researchers may succeed or fail in negotiating such risks. As a non-native researcher in a UK-based University, I acknowledge my plurality of selves and the skills needed to navigate these social worlds.