It may seem unorthodox to begin a book on positionality, in a postdigital university context, with a reference to a Terminator movie, but do hear me out, if you will. My own route though HE during the last twenty-two years has often felt rather like a series of fragments. I could just move on from each of my diverse past roles, cancel them from memory even, or I could retain these experiences and reflexively bring them into a critical dialogue with my present positionality. This reminds me of the scene with the shattered Terminator in the second movie, re-attracting pools of liquid metal to re-form in its latest appearance. Postdigital contexts seem to me to be fluid and organic like this, with what is cultural or technological converging in this manner, appearing sometimes human, sometimes machine, a blend of both bringing new perceptions to us of who we are. Positionality theory offers one way to anchor ourselves in everchanging post-digital situations, and to bring our individual experiences (past, present and future) into both personal and collective dialogues. The virtual airing cupboard of the Internet has placed many fragments of each of us in multiple locations. If you will permit me a further analogy, rather like the horcruxes in Harry Potter, these are hidden and possibly just as difficult to eradicate. We cannot individually retrieve these fragments because they have moved and changed shape as data, but we can seek to reclaim our own individual postdigital positionalities. To do so, provides a strong resistance to the rationalised policy choices made by others, on what they perceive our experience is. I have sought to include varied cross-disciplinary, academic, cross-sector, media and popular culture sources, to present the case for a debate, rather than to overtly take sides on the many emotive issues that I have referenced. It has felt messy and incomplete, as I have written these references in, often in real time as they emerged, but postdigital existence has this effect, compounded too by the bewilderment wrought by the Covid-19 global pandemic. Writing in this way has been exhilarating, with moments of panic about how much to include about unfolding events, mixed with pleasure in photographing peopleâs material expressions of their positionality during the crisis. Most of the images in the book were photographed in the UK due to travel restrictions, but the diverse sources the book draws on are from across the globe. I am fully conscious of changes in myself and those I care for too, during lockdown after lockdown, and so I reflexively recognise my own positioning as a university researcher, sociologist, educator, partner, parent, carer and a mature, white female. I refer to my own work alongside the work of many others (acknowledging too of course the labour of my humble airing cupboard) throughout the book. In choosing the examples that I have shared, there will be others I have not included (so apologies to my dishwasher, if it did not get a mention this time). I hope though, that readers wherever they are in the world, will explore their own perspectives on the matters raised. Do share your own research, fill in inevitable gaps, get in touch and help to collectively extend this open debate on postdigital positionality, inclusivity and implications for how HE policy is framed, as we look ahead towards the future. Always though, keeping one eye on the past.
Authorâs Positionality Statement
In: Postdigital Positionality
Author:
Sarah Hayes
Sarah Hayes
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