Feminista pláticas as a methodological disruption: drawing upon embodied knowledge, vulnerability, healing, and resistance

Abstract

Guided by Chicana/Latina scholars that have written explicitly about the methodology of feminista pláticas, this article positions feminista pláticas as a methodological disruption in educational research. We argue that embodied knowledge is a necessary part of a feminista plática methodology; it centers our bodymindspirit and the power of vulnerability in the research process. Through a discussion of emotions, language, and the relationship between feminista pláticas and testimonio, we illustrate how this methodology can be used to heal from and resist traditional research approaches that are rooted in whiteness, colonial logics, and white supremacy. A feminista plática methodology creates a space where we can be our most authentic selves and work with and for our collaborators. We conclude with a discussion on positionality and areas that merit further examination in a feminista plática methodology.