Feminist Research Institute

Plastic pollution, with its origins in the production of petrochemical products, is pervasive worldwide and significantly abundant in the global oceans. Plastics are slow to deteriorate and have already been identified in the fossil record, sitting in geological time. Ocean currents and marine winds determine where and how plastics accumulate and where these effects are concentrated. This article takes the pervasiveness of plastics in marine environments as marine violence as a point of departure, and it contributes a critical lens on marine science research that bridges the fields of marine science, environmental justice, and the blue humanities. By reflecting on a case study of marine science research on pollution and accountability led by Therese M. Karlsson on the west coast of Sweden and also the site-specific artistic research practice of poetry writing in the same study area, this article argues that the ways Karlsson et al. carry out their research in their case study are feminist and place this research in conversation with blue humanities methods of caring for specific places through creative practice. Furthermore, this article’s analysis is continuously informed by environmental justice principles attentive to equity and health across species and ecosystems. Integrating artistic research into marine science research opens further possibilities for activating accountability processes with regard to marine plastic pollution for researchers working in these disciplines. These approaches to research combined offer frameworks for the research to ask, “What am I holding on to? With whom? Where?”

There is a growing appreciation for the importance of values in research. Questions of values are related to but different from conversations about ethics. Whereas ethics focuses on presumed shared societal values, values focus on what is important to an individual or a community. When viewed positively, values foster group cohesion and bolster motivation and resilience. When viewed negatively, values are seen as introducing bias into science. Viewed practically, values are virtually always present in research through the questions we ask, our assumptions, chosen methodologies, analysis, how we respond to reviewer feedback, publishing practices, and outreach. Research institutions, disciplines, and fields of study all have values that they promote, whether these are stated implicitly or explicitly. 

We propose that recognizing what these are and how they converge or diverge from one’s own values is a crucial reflective process for researchers. When they converge, it can be easy for them to go unnoticed. Assumptions and practices based on values appear invisible or commonsensical. Conversely, when they differ or oppose, a researcher may experience feelings of alienation, discomfort, and cognitive dissonance. Since values are rarely explicitly discussed, researchers can internalize this tension, leading to dissatisfaction or conflict. Challenges within organizations or research groups often stem from differences in priorities, which are shaped by values. Making these differences apparent can help to facilitate dialogue and collaboration.

We piloted this workshop with a group of researchers to help them identify the values they bring to their work. By having an explicit conversation about this, we hoped to learn (1) what values are present in a research community dedicated to the development of “open” research commons (a value-driven project in itself), (2) the effectiveness of storytelling and group reflection in helping people to identify their values, and (3) the effectiveness of autoethnography to assess the level to which researchers successfully implement their values in practice. 

Audience: This guide is intended for researchers interested in running the workshop. This workshop can be useful for improving the quality and accuracy of research and for individuals and groups who wish to further goals of equity, inclusion, justice, and other ideals. It is most effective when conducted with a group of researchers who share a topical interest, are working on collaboration, or who otherwise share commonalities. The workshop can be a meaningful way to establish camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose, especially at the beginning of group endeavors. 

What follows describes the process undertaken to enact these goals. We encourage others to test these processes and provide us with their thoughts! Please reach out to us at smcc@ucdavis.edu and/or mveitzel@ucdavis.edu.

The purpose of this report is to define and document the origins, definition, and themes of mobility justice. Methods included a literature review of both academic and activist usages of the term and interviews with early mobility justice leaders. Results revealed that mobility justice emerged as a concept simultaneously in academic and activist spaces. The field of critical mobilities studies began conversations in academia. Conversations in the field began among sustainable transportation practitioners who also identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, particularly at gatherings of a collective called The Untokening. Interviewees expressed the importance of respecting this genealogy and the definition as laid out by these leaders. They defined mobility justice as a movement towards liberation for all, particularly those most marginalized by systems of oppression. Mobility justice’s origins are grounded in past civil rights movements, especially for Black people. As such, it connects other justice-based movements and has strong ties to abolitionism. Practitioners advocate for strong community leadership in future transportation decision-making. They see mobility justice as centering life—of people, the community, and the environment. This requires an understanding of how identity shapes experiences of mobility, particularly in relationship to systems of power. Transportation researchers and professionals are encouraged to engage in further reading and training to better integrate history, local context, and attention to systems of power into their work.