Rethinking methodology as a technology of social (in)justice in academia?
As part of the Critical Approaches to Race Seminar Series, we are honored to welcome Dr. Zehra Çolak and Dr. Zakia Essanhaji on the topic of methodology in academia.
This talk will discuss how traditional methodological approaches and knowledge-production practices have been complicit in silencing, overlooking, and oppressing non-dominant ways of being, thinking, and doing. Drawing on the case of a podcast project with racialized scholars in academia, it will explore the implications of embracing an ethics of refusal and answerability to redirect our focus on research that sustains and liberates racialized communities rather than contributing to the deficit and damage-oriented practices. With this, the talk will open space for conversation with the audience on non-exploitative methodological practices that centre on producing knowledge with and for the benefit of affected communities.
About the Speakers:
Dr. Zehra Çolak is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Education at Utrecht University, where she works on the Dutch Research Agenda project Re/Presenting Europe: Popular Representations of Diversity and Belonging. As a social scientist, her work lies at the intersection of sociology, psychology, and education, focusing on social and educational inequities and their impact on the well-being and belonging of racialized minority groups. Drawing on critical theories and participatory approaches, her research centers the lived experiences and voices of marginalized communities and explores how policies and practices can foster equitable and liberating environments. Zehra earned her PhD in Education and MSc in Social and Cultural Anthropology from KU Leuven. She is an active member of several academic networks and initiatives, including IMISCOE’s Standing Committee on Education and Social Inequality, and contributes to both scholarly and public debates on equity and inclusion in education.
Dr. Zakia Essanhaji is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Ethnography in the Department of Organization Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research focuses on the politics of diversity, the dynamics of whiteness, and institutional change within academia, with particular attention to the intersections of ethnic-racial and gender inequalities. Drawing from critical race, feminist, and decolonial perspectives, she examines how academic institutions function as key sites in the (re)production of inequality. Zakia earned her PhD in Sociology from VU Amsterdam, where she conducted ethnographic research on diversity policy and practice within Dutch universities. Her work explores the limits of institutional diversity efforts while also imagining alternative ways of being in and doing academia. She has held various academic positions across VU Amsterdam, Erasmus University, and Radboud University, and is currently investigating how gender, race/ethnicity, and religion shape the lived experiences of academics of colour and Muslim academics in higher education.
If you want to join this seminar, please send us an email at birmm@vub.be