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Researching the War on Terror in Swat Valley, Pakistan: Grapplings with the Impact on Communities and the Transnational Knowledge Industry
Author(s) -
Chaudhry Lub.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12038
Subject(s) - transformative learning , face (sociological concept) , power (physics) , value (mathematics) , sociology , knowledge production , political science , political economy , social science , pedagogy , knowledge management , physics , quantum mechanics , machine learning , computer science
Drawing on a study of the War on Terror in Swat Valley, Pakistan, the article explores what it means to conduct research in a politically charged conflict situation when the researcher is aligned against the dictates of imperialism. How can the impact of research—in terms of its efficaciousness in serving communities as well as in supporting a larger understanding that can bring in peace—be evaluated? The article grapples with the effects of the study at two levels: the community or local level in Swat; and, as a project of interethnic and transnational knowledge production and dissemination. The article highlights the limits and contradictions of a critical feminist approach in the face of multilayered power relations. Ultimately, the article makes a case for sustained attention to the value of research as transformative, even when its impact remains ambiguous given the scale of the War on Terror.