Between obundu and praxis : intersubjective positionality in shaping cross-cultural research and researcher identity

Researcher subjectivity influences knowledge generation, which necessitates reflexivity. This paper inquires into how a researcher's worldview(s) shape their positionality concerning research topics, contexts, and participants. I examine my sociocultural encounters as a Global South (Ugandan) doctoral researcher in the Global North (Sweden) and demonstrate how my epistemic disposition becomes intersubjective and shapes my research and researcher identity development. Two epistemologies coalesce: obundu, a worldview from my upbringing in Uganda; and praxis, a concept from European experience that influences my research environment. A key conclusion is that researching across contexts entails transcending epistemic boundaries in an intersectional rather than polarising way, resulting in an inbetweener rather than an outsider or insider researcher positionality. Because my experience is hardly peculiar, this conclusion is potentially relevant for other Global South researchers in the Global North and, hopefully, vice versa.