The politics of knowledge production in Central Asia has been a significant topic of discussion both in academia and beyond in recent years. Researchers have discussed the hierarchies functional to this process, issues of safety, academic freedom, engagement with authoritarian states, as well as knowledge transfer. A feminist perspective on the research process has been missing in this conversation.
As an MA student developing a feminist study about the meanings and practices of sexuality among young women in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, I was aware of the sensitivity of my research topic amid the country’s “retraditionalisation” of gender roles. In particular, I was concerned about repercussions for my potential participants and the ethical side of the project. Would anyone feel comfortable to talk to me about this subject? What would be the best way to provide safety and anonymity for my participants? Who else could benefit from my research or am I merely objectifying young women for my own career advancement? Would I be able to create conditions of fairness and reciprocity beyond the researcher-interviewee relationship?
Feminist scholarship suggests ways to fulfil those principles of equality and cooperation during fieldwork. In this piece, I discuss how certain feminist contributions influenced my research on sexuality in Tajikistan. Using examples from interviews I conducted, I argue that, while feminist scholarship can offer useful analytical and methodological tools to research women’s lifeworlds on more equal terms, it also faces challenges that may derail such objectives.
