Rebecca Coleman & Kat Jungnickel - Introduction to Creating Feminist Futures- Research Methodologies

Australian Feminist Studies

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IntroductiontoCreatingFeministFutures: ResearchMethodologiesforNewTimes

Rebecca Coleman & Kat Jungnickel

To cite this article: Rebecca Coleman & Kat Jungnickel (2023) Introduction to Creating Feminist Futures: Research Methodologies for New Times, Australian Feminist Studies, 38:115-116, 1-13, DOI: 10.1080/08164649.2024.2373931

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08164649.2024.2373931

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AUSTRALIANFEMINISTSTUDIES

2023,VOL.38,NOS.115–116,1–13 https://doi.org/10.1080/08164649.2024.2373931

IntroductiontoCreatingFeministFutures:Research MethodologiesforNewTimes

RebeccaColemana,b andKatJungnickelc

aSchoolofSociology,PoliticsandInternationalStudies,UniversityofBristol,Bristol,UK; bBristolDigital FuturesInstitute,UniversityofBristol,Bristol,UK; cSociologyDepartment,Goldsmiths,UniversityofLondon, London,UK

ABSTRACT

Whatroledoandmightfeministmethodologies,withtheir prioritisationofethicalandpoliticalquestionsandinterventions, haveincreatingfutures?Whatkindsoffuturesareneeded?What kindsoffeministimaginationsshouldbecultivated,andhow? Whatworld-makingpracticesmightfeminism(further)develop and/orinvent?Inthecontextofwar,climatebreakdown, pandemics,theresurgenceoffar-rightpolitics,politicalupheaval andpoverty,thisspecialissueexaminestheroleoffeminist methodsincreatingfuturesthataredesirableandnecessary.This introductiontothespecialissuearguesthatfeminismis especiallywell-equippedtoexamineandbuildnewfuturesand thatimaginingandmakingdifferentworldscanbehelpfully understoodasmethods.Wesketchoutfourkeythemesthatwe seeassignificantwithinthewide,variedandgrowingliteratures onfeministfuturesandthatareparticularlyimportantforthe contributionsgatheredtogetherhere: non-linearity;interruption andrefusal;world-makingandspeculation;collaboration

ARTICLEHISTORY

Received24June2024

Accepted25June2024

KEYWORDS

Feminist;futures; methodologies;methods; creativepractice;creative research

Visionaryfeminismoffersushopeforthefuture.Byemphasisinganethicsofmutualityand interdependencyfeministthinkingoffersusawaytoenddominationwhilesimultaneously changingtheimpactofinequity.(hooks 2015,117)

Re-imaginingworldsandre-makingfutureshavealwaysbeencentraltofeminismandits intersectionswithothercritical,minoritarianmovements,includingqueer,Blackandantiracist,disabilityandclass-basedpractices.Asbellhooksnotes,feminisminitsvisionary formscancultivatethinkingandpracticestoshapemoreethicalandequalfutureworlds. Inthisspecialissueof AustralianFeministStudies,wetakesuchapropositionseriouslyand maketwowagers.The firstisthat,atahistoricalmomentofwar,climatebreakdown,pandemics,theresurgenceoffar-rightpolitics,politicalupheavalandpoverty,hopeful approachesandvisionsofalternativefuturesareneededmorethanever.Inherintroduction toaspecialissueofthisjournalon ‘FeministGenerations’,RosiBraidottinotesthatfeminism has ‘alongandrichgenealogyintermsofpleadingforincreasedvisionaryinsight’,whichties

CONTACT RebeccaColeman rebecca.coleman@bristol.ac.uk

©2024TheAuthor(s).PublishedbyInformaUKLimited,tradingasTaylor&FrancisGroup ThisisanOpenAccessarticledistributedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttributionLicense(http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/),whichpermitsunrestricteduse,distribution,andreproductioninanymedium,providedtheoriginalworkisproperly cited.ThetermsonwhichthisarticlehasbeenpublishedallowthepostingoftheAcceptedManuscriptinarepositorybytheauthor(s) orwiththeirconsent.

together ‘astrongcriticalandanequallystrongcreativefunction’ (2009,8).Inparticularlyturbulenttimessuchasthese,thereisanurgencytorevisitandperhapsrevisethecriticaland creativeapproachesandpracticesthroughwhichdifferentfuturescanbeimaginedand made.Here,then,wewanttocentre futures asanobjectand/ororientationthatfeminism isespeciallywell-equippedtoexamineandbuild.

Oursecondwageristhat,inconsideringfeministimaginingsandmakingsoffuture worlds,itisproductivetoexaminequestionsof methodologiesandmethods.Thatis,we thinkthatimaginingandmakingcanbehelpfullyunderstoodasmethodsthrough whichdifferentworldscanbedevised.Wetakeadeliberatelybroadunderstandingof methods,notonlysothat ‘method’ encompasseswhatcanbetheintangibilityofimaginationalongwithmorepracticalmakingactivities,butalsotoaccountforthevarietyof approachesthatfeminismhasandcontinuestoworkwithandthrough.Theseinclude practicesthatarecoretospecificacademicdisciplines,suchasdrawingandinterviews, aswellasthosethatcrossandblurdisciplines,suchasreadingandworkshopping. Theyalsoincludepracticesthattakeplaceoutsideofacademiccontexts,suchasonwebsites,gaming,inclassroomsandinactivism.Inthissense,wecontributetotherecent resurgenceofinterestinmethodsasinterdisciplinary(Lury 2018),creative(Hawkins 2013),materialandembodied(Coleman,Page,andPalmer 2019;Jungnickel 2018),inventive(LuryandWakeford 2012)andlive(BackandPuwar 2012).

Againstthisbackground,wecalledforcontributionstothisspecialissuetorespondto questionsincluding:Whatroledoandmightfeministmethodologies,withtheirprioritisationofethicalandpoliticalquestionsandinterventions,haveincreatingfutures?What kindsoffuturesareneeded?Whatkindsoffeministimaginationsshouldbecultivated, andhow?Whatworld-makingpracticesmightfeminism(further)developand/or invent?Allofthecontributionsgrapplesignificantlyandindifferentwayswiththese questions,aswesketchoutbelow.Webeginbydevelopingoursecondwagerthat methods – broadlyunderstood – arecentraltocriticalandcreativefeministthought andpractice.Wedothistosituatebroaderfeministargumentsaboutfuturesin methods,soastocarveoutwhatisdistinctiveaboutthecontributionsweseekto makehere.Inparticular,weidentifyfourkeythemesthatweseeacrossdifferentfeminist researchonfutures:non-linearity;interruptionandrefusal;world-makingandspeculation; andcollaboration.The finalsectionintroducesthearticlesandcreativeresponses includedinthisspecialissue,pointingtohowtheytakeupandexaminesomeofthese themesandquestions,andtheapproachestheysetoutandputintoplay.

FeministMethods

If,asBraidottiargues,feminismhasequallystrongcriticalandcreativefunctions,nowhere isthismorethecasethaninfeministmethodologiesandmethods.Wearguethatmethodologiesandmethodsarecrucialsitesthroughwhichfeministimaginationandmaking takeplaceandnewfuturesareenvisionedandmade.AccordingtoYasminGunaratnam andCarrieHamilton,feministmethodologiesemergedasa fieldofacademicinterestin the1980s. ‘Earlydiscussions’,GunaratnamandHamiltonargue, suggestedthatfeministresearchandknowledge-makingdemandedadistinctapproachto empiricalinquiry:onethatrecognisedandoverturnedsystemicgenderdisparities,validated

women’s “experience”,rejectedhierarchiesbetweentheresearchersandresearchparticipant,andhademancipationandsocialchangeasitspurpose.(2017,1)

Ongoingdebate,contestationandexperimentationwithsuchideasnotwithstanding, ‘a commitmenttomakefeminismmeansomethinginthedoingofresearch,culturalanalysis,teaching,artisticpracticeandinactivism,hascontinuedtocomplicateandsupplementtheideaofadistinctfeministmethodologicalimperative’ (Gunaratnamand Hamilton 2017,1).

Anumberofpointsraisedbythisargumentaresignificant.The firstisthatwhatconstitutesfeministmethodologyandmethodisnotunifiedor fixed.Multiplicityanddiversitydefinefeministmethods.Anotherpointisthatfeministmethodsarerigorously theorised,andtheworkonfeministresearchhasthereforerefusedanystraightforward distinctionsbetweentheoryandpractice;indeed,workonfeministresearchmightbe understoodtocomposeandsitwithinaspacewherebytheoryispractisedandpractice istheorised.Theimplicationsofthispointarethatmethodsarenottools,andthatitisnot possible,ordesirable,toofferstandardisedversionsorblueprintsofhowfeminist methodsshouldbeputtouse.Rather,therelationshipbetweentheory,methodsand practiceisdynamic:relational,changingandspecifictotheproblemsatstake(Lury 2020;LuryandWakeford 2012).

Afurtherrelatedpointisthat,ifmethodsarenotinstrumental – thatis,ifwedonotsee methodsastoolsthatrevealorminepre-existingrealities – methodsareworld-making. Methodsmakeworlds.ThisiswhatisapparentinGunaratnamandHamilton’semphasis ontheenduring ‘commitmenttomakefeminismmeansomethinginthe doing’ (our emphasis).KarenBarad(1998, 2007),forexample,writingabouttheinstruments throughwhichweknowphenomena,arguesthatourwaysofknowingarealways entangledwiththephenomenabeingresearched:sothat ‘tools’ areproductiveof, ratherthanreflectionsoforuncovering,thatphenomena.Assheargues, ‘practicesof knowledgearespecificmaterialengagementsthatparticipatein(re)configuringthe world.Whichpracticesweenactmatter – inbothsensesoftheword.Makingknowledge isnotsimplyaboutmakingfactsbutaboutmakingworlds’ (Barad 2007,91;seealso Haraway 2016).

Theperformativityofwhatwearecallingfeministmethods – theco-constitutive entanglementoftheoryandpractice,thedoingofresearch,analysis,teaching,art,activism …– requiresustoaskpoliticalandethicalquestionsabouttheworldsweare, andarenot,making(seealsoLawandUrry 2004).Whetherornotexplicitlyacknowledged,thesequestionsarealwaysconcernedwithfutures:theyareaboutthefutures thatareimaginable,desirableandnecessary.

FeminismsandFutures

Thattherelationshipbetweenfeminismandfuturesislong-standingandclosedoesnot meanthatitiscoherentorunified.Inexploringfeministapproachestofutures,then,a rangeofresponses – nonewrong,butallvaried – arenotable.SaraAhmedarguesthat feminismis,bydefinition, ‘adesirethatthefutureshouldnotsimplyrepeatthepast, giventhatfeminismcomesintobeingasacritiqueof,andresistanceto,thewaysin whichtheworldhasalreadytakenshape’ (2004,183).However,thischaracterisationof

feminismasinherentlyinterestedinfuturesemergesfromadiscussionofthecontested groundsoffeminism,especiallyaroundquestionsoftheroleofpastsinshapingfutures, theinequalitiesthatstructurefeminismandthedifferencesthatarepartofanyunderstandingandfeelingofsolidarity. ‘Whenwethinkthequestionoffeministfutures’ , Ahmedwrites,

wealsoneedtoattendtothelegaciesoffeministpasts;whatwehaveinheritedfrompast feminists,intermsofwaysofthinkingtheveryquestionofwhatitwouldmeantohavea worldwherefeminism,asapoliticsoftransformation,isnolongernecessary.(2004,183)

Whenwecentrefeministfutures,then,wearenecessarilyaskingquestionsaboutpasts andpresents.Thefutureisnotatimesomehowsegregatedfromwhatisandhas been;ratherfutures,presentsandpastsarealwaysimbuedwithandconfigured througheachother.

Alsofocusingonhowfuturity figuresinandshapesfeminismandthestoriesthatare typicallytoldaboutit,ClareHemmings,writesabouthowshe ‘alwayslovedfeminist theoryforitsutopianism’ and ‘doggedoptimismthatallowsitspractitionerstounderstandandexperiencelifedifferently’ (2011,3).Otherszoneinonthepoliticsofutopianismandoptimism.LaurenBerlant’sworkon ‘crueloptimism’ (2011)detailsthe requirementofcriticaltheorytoexaminetheattachmentstoideals,hopesorfantasies ofeasier,betterfuturesandhowsuchattachmentscandeferactioninthepresent. Hopeandoptimismcanberegressiveandconservativeaswellastransformationaland revolutionary(ColemanandFerreday 2010;Munoz 2009).Oneofthepointsthatthe debateabouthopeandoptimismindicateistheroleoffeelingoraffectinfeminism.CarolineBassett,SarahKemberandKateO’Riordancontendthatfeminismneedstogalvanise a ‘furious’ responseto ‘contesttheregressivelygenderedandveryoftensexistpoliticsof digitalmediaforms,practicesandstudy’,inorderto ‘re-conceptualizedigitalmediaand broadertechnologicalfutures,pervasivemediationandincreasingautomation’ (Bassett, Kember,andO’Riordan 2019,2).Focusingonthecontemporaryterrainofsocialmedia, JennySundenandSusannaPaasonendetailhowfeministtacticsonsocialmediathat usehumour,laughterandtheabsurdaremodesof ‘creativeworld-building’ thatnot onlycritiquenetworkedformsofsexismbutalso ‘disrupt[…]andeschew[…]thelogic onoffer’ (2020,11).Laughterhereisnotsomuchcodedasa ‘good’ or ‘bad’ affector emotionasitisapotentialitythatmay ‘setinmotion’ moreorlessenduring ‘socialand political resonances’ (2020,11).

Thereareclearlymanyissuesthatfeminismhasandcontinuestoexploreinrelationto anunderstandingoffutures,whyandhowtheymatter,andforwhom.Ourdiscussion hereisfocusedonfourthemesthatweidentifyassignificantwithinthewideand growingliteraturesonfeministfuturesandthatareparticularlyimportantforthecontributionsgatheredtogetherhere: non-linearity;interruptionandrefusal;world-makingand speculation;collaboration.

Onetendencywithinfeministconceptualisationsoffutures,andthatanimatesomeof thespecialissuearticles,iswhatBraidotticalls ‘[t]hescramblingoffeministtime-lines today’ (2009,6);thatis,theproblematisationoftemporallinearitythatemergesoutof feministphilosophicalworkonwomen’stimeascircularandcyclicalandinattempts tounderstandcontemporarycapitalismandglobalisation,inwhichtimeisorganised aroundacontinuouspresent/presence.Forsomefeministtheorists,suchtemporal

scramblingcanbeunderstoodasamodeofself-orinternal-reflexivitywherebythefuture offeminismisnotsecure,asLisaAdkins(2004)argues;anon-dialectical,non-linear,transversal ‘jumping’ acrossandbetweenfeministknowledgeproducedwithindifferenthistoricalmomentsandtheoreticaltraditionsasIrisvanderTuin(2009)putsit;orareturning,orturningover,ofpersistentissuesorproblemssothat,inChristinaHughes andCeliaLury’sterms, ‘thereisnosingularorunifiedprogressivehistoryorapproach todiscover.Rather,thereistheintensityofmulti-dimensionaltrajectories’ (2013,787). Whilefuturesarenotalwaysexplicitlyatstakeintheseanalyses,whatsuchdifferentversionsoffeministtimelinesindicateisthatfeministfuturesareneitherpre-determinednor singular.Andneitherarefeministfuturesonlytobedistinguishedbylooking ‘forward’ or throughemptyversionsof ‘thenew’

Thispoint – that futuresarenon-linear – iscarefullyexplicatedinrecentBlackandqueer feministwork.InheranalysisofAfrofuturistcinema,musicandliterature,KaraKeeling examinesthecolonisationofthefuturethroughthecorporatefuturescenarioindustry, andcomparesthistoaninterdisciplinaryandcollaborativeimagination,whichcreatively andspeculativelyanimatespossibilities.ImportantlyforKeeling,whilesuchfuturepossibilitiesare ‘not-yet’,theyaretobefoundinmodesofqueertemporalitythat ‘stubbornly persistsinpresentrelations’ andatthesametimeremainsimperceptibleindominant ‘effortstoanchorthefuturetotheknowable’ (2019,20).Inotherwords,Blackfutures areanimatedinandasthepresent(seealsoNyong’o 2018).Fromadifferent,although complementary,position,TinaCampt ‘listens’ tophotographsthatdocumentcolonialism anditsresistance,andarguesthattheyanticipateandperforma ‘tenserelationshiptoan ideaofpossibilitythatisneitherinnocentnornaïve’ (2017,17).Thisis:

agrammarofpossibilitythatmovesbeyondasimpledefinitionofthefuturetenseas what willbe inthefuture.Itmovesbeyondthefutureperfecttenseof thatwhichwillhavehappened priortoareferencepointinthefuture.Itstrivesforthetenseofpossibilitythatgrammariansrefertoasthefuturerealconditionalor thatwhichwillhavehadtohappen.The grammarofblackfeministfuturityisaperformanceofafuturethathasn’tyethappened butmust.Itisanattachmenttoabeliefinwhatshouldbetrue,whichimpelsustorealise thataspiration.Itisthepowertoimaginebeyondcurrentfactandtoenvisionthatwhich isnot,butmustbe.It’sapoliticsofpre-figurationthatinvolveslivingthefuture now – as imperativeratherthansubjunctive – asastrivingforthefutureyouwanttosee,right now,inthepresent.(Campt 2017,17)

BothKeelingandCamptlocatethefuturewithinthepresent;thefuturemaybethat whichishappeningnowandyetisthatwhichissomehowdistinctfrom,betterthan, thepresent.AnalysinghowsociologytraditionallyapproachesBlacklifeasa ‘problem’ , NadineEhlersarguesthatthedisciplineisstuckin ‘arecursivetrapofsimplynaming theserepetitions.Underthismodel,theonlywaytoimagineorarctowardsanother futureistotrytoget outside theloopofimperilledblackfuturity’ (2023,339).Incontrast, Ehlers findsalternativepresentsandfuturesbeingmadeingrassrootsblackcommunity initiatives,suchasthosewhichdevelopedduringtheearlyphaseoftheCOVID-19pandemicintheUSAandAustralia.These ‘practicesortacticsorlivingwithinthecontours ofimperilledblackbiofutures’ , ‘pushbackagainsttherecursivestoryto rework theenduringlogicsofanti-blackness’ by ‘fosteringlifeagainstthevariousformsofletting(or making)diethatareexacerbatedinourcurrentpandemicmoment’ (2023,341).Ehlers’ argumentdemonstratesthatfuturesare ‘thatwhich[are]inthemakingallaroundus’

(2023,3423;seealsoHalfordandSoutherton 2023)andthat ‘[w]eneedtobeattentiveto andlearnfrom thealternativefutures-nowthatarealreadyhere andusetheseother futures-nowtoorganisetomorrow’ (2023,343).Cultivatingmethodsthatareattentive toandcanlearnfrom ‘futures-now’ isthusacentralaimofanyprojectinterestedin futures.Feministtheoriesandpractices,weargue,provideuswitharich,powerfuland pluralrangeofresourcestodothis.

Anotherkeythreadweavingthroughtheseliteraturesandarticlesthatfollowisthatof interruption.Feministfutures,muchlikefeministpresentsandpasts,arerarelysmooth, streamlinedorsingular.Theyarecomplex,messyandknottedwithoverlapsandintersectionsofmulti-dimensionalexperiences,knowledges,people,andthingsthatdon’tall necessarilyperformor fitasexpected.LegacyRussellwritesabouttheglitchas ‘an error,amistake,afailuretofunction’ (2020,20).Insomecontexts,aglitchindicatesinterruption,abreakdownorproblem,butitcanbesomethingelse,morepowerfulandgenerative.Theglitch ‘createsa fissurewithinwhichnewpossibilitiesofbeingandbecoming manifest’ (2020,11)whichcan ‘guideusthroughwaywardworldstowardnewframeworksandnewvisionsoffantasticfutures’ (2020,14).Afeministglitchcanbea ‘body thatpushesbackattheapplicationsofpronouns,orremainsindecipherablewithina binaryassignment’ orsimplyrefusestoperform(2020,21).

Refusal isanotherformofinterruptioninfeminist,queer,disability,indigenousand decolonialscholarship.Ahmedwritesabouthowfeminism ‘canbeunderstoodasa trans/formativepoliticsinitsveryrefusaltobelongtoeitherhereorthere’ (1998,43).DisabilitytheoristRosemarieGarland-Thomsondescribes ‘misfitting’ as ‘anincongruent relationshipbetweentwothings:asquarepeginaroundhole’ (2011,592–593).She powerfullydrawsattentiontospaceswhichdonot fitallbodies,andreversesthe readingofthisincongruity.Insteadofassumingthedisabledsubjector ‘squarepeg’ is theproblem,shearguesthatitisthe ‘roundhole’ or environmentthatdoesnotwork. Herworkdrawsattentiontocontextsandsystemsthatrefuseaccesstosomepeople andthosewhodonot fitthesehomogenisednormsfortheir ‘adaptability,resourcefulnessandsubjugatedknowledge’ whichemergeas ‘potentialeffectsofmisfitting’ (2011,592).Collectively,theseideascarveoutspace,timeandopportunitytoreimagineandre-makefutures.

Afurtherthemeinfeministresearchonfuturesthatisimportantforthespecialissue contributionsfocusesspecificallyon world-makingasaspeculativeproject.Thisthemeis perhapsmostexplicitlyinspiredbyDonnaHaraway’sworkonSf

thatpotentmaterialsemioticsignfortherichesofspeculativefabulation,speculativefeminism,science fiction,sciencefact,sciencefantasy – and,Isuggest,strong figures.Inlooping threadsandrelaysofpatterning,thissfpracticeisamodelforworlding.Sfmustalso mean “sofar”,openingupwhatisyet-to-comeinproteantimespasts,presentsand futures.(Haraway 2013,4)

Here, ‘speculative’ referstoexperimentswiththenot-yet,whichrangefromthecuration ofoccasionsthroughwhichnewfuturesmaytakeshapetowhatLisaAdkinscalls, ’the adoptionofalternativestancestowardssociologicaldata,thatistorecordingsofsocial life’ (2017,117).Whatcharacterisesthediversityofspeculativeresearchisacommitment to,inVivienneKuh’swords, ‘“trouble[the]ontologicalentrapments” […]researchers find themselvesin,butalsoinitially,eventoexposetheminthe firstplace’ (2021,272).

ForKuh, ‘researchers’ includethoseinresearchroles(academic,industryandotherwise) andthosewhomresearchtouches,directlyornot –‘giventhelackofinclusionacrossallour institutions,andthemountingcostsofnon-inclusivefuturing,itisimperative’,sheargues, forinclusiontobeattheheartofspeculativeworld-making.Thisisnottheadditiveversion ofinclusionthatfeminismhaschallengedforsolong,butratherisakintowhatSashaConstanza-Chock(2020)calls ‘designjustice’:practicesledbymarginalisedpeopleswhereby manyworldsareimagined,shapedandbuilt(seealsoEscobar 2018).

Our finalthemeis collaboration – evidentinthemanyco-authoredpapersincludedin thespecialissue.Fewfeministprojectsaresoloendeavours.Evenwhentheyarenot deliberatelyco-constructedandenacted,theyaredeeplysituatedwithinorinrelation toframeworksornetworks.Forsome,collaborationis always afeministpractice.In definedpairsorgroups,feministcollaborationscantransformtraditionalpowerdimensions,subvertingnormativehierarchiesandleadtolong-termcare,supportandinspiration.Reflectingonsuchissuesintermsoftheirlong-termcollaboration,CareyKaplan andEllenCronanRosewrite, ‘collaborationamongacademicfeminists,conductedasit isagainstinstitutionalodds,isexhilarating,consoling,andprecious’ (1993,559) –whichisnottosayeasyorstraightforward.Itisoftenunder-appreciated,under-explored andunder-funded.Itisalsohardtosustain,giventheacademy’spredilectionforsoloauthoredpublicationsandendeavours(seealsoGilbertandMasucci 2008).Discussing howtheyhaveembeddedfeministprinciplesofcare,processandequityintothefeminist marinesciencelaboratorysheleads,MaxLiboironandcolleagueshaveexploreddifferent waysinwhichcollaborationcanbemadeexplicit,includingthroughcollectivelycoming toaconsensusaboutauthororder(Liboironetal. 2017)andshiftingextractivereading andwritingprocessesintomoreinclusivepracticessuchasinvitingreaderstoparticipate ascollaborativeco-authors(Liboiron 2018).Highlightingtheimportanceofcollaboration tothisspecialissue – throughco-writing,participatorymethodsandapproachesandalso throughbroaderprogrammesofresearch – helpstodemonstrateitspotentialforcreating feministfutures.

ContributionstotheSpecialIssue

Thethemesweoutlineabovecriss-crossthroughthecontributionstothespecialissue, whichspanacademicarticles,conversationsaboutandreflectionsonfeministresearch andcreativepracticepieces.Theylocateandexaminefeministfuturesmethodologies inrelationtothedoingandanalysisofempiricalsocialresearchandartanddesignpractices,andalsoinclassroomsandkitchens,onwebsites,Zoomcallsandmobilegames, throughfrictionand fiction,andmultispecies flourishing.

EstherPriyadharshiniconsidersherempiricalfutures-makingprojectwithyoung peopleinthefaceof ‘wickedproblems’ suchastheclimatecrisis,poverty,far-rightpolitics,povertyandtheCOVID-19pandemic.Designedasaspeculativeresearchproject,it builtonAfrofuturism,inwhichpublicsareinvitedtoparticipatein ‘conjuringandenjoyingnewsensibilitiesofhowamultiplicityoffuturesmaybreakawayfromtedious,singularteleologicalframes’ andBlackfeministscience,inwhich ‘disobedient,rebelliousand rogue’‘method-making’ makesnewworlds.Priyadharshinicarefullyconsidersthepracticalitiesoftheresearchproject,and ‘fleshesout’ amethodologicalframeworkto ‘bridge theworldofempiricalresearchwithitsparticularchallenges,andtheinspirational-

aspirationalworldofBlackFeministScienceandAfrofuturism’.Thismethodological frameworkfunctionsasaseriesofethical,political,methodologicalandpracticalquestionsthatpromptinterestedresearcherstofocusattentiononhowresearchmayaidin creatingfeministfutures.

ExploringtheirempiricalresearchinFinnishsecondaryschoolsandUKFurtherEducationtore-imaginewhatmorefulfillingclassroomsandlessonsmightbe,KatjaHiltunen andGregCampbelldevisemethodsofspeculativefabulationinspiredbythedifferent feministnewmaterialismsofBarad,Braidotti,JaneBennett(2010)andHaraway.They riff off oftheirethnographicobservationstotelldifferentstoriesandwritepoems aboutmorediverse,inclusiveandenjoyableclassroomexperiences,showingbothhow suchfuturesareilluminatedinthepresentandthepotentialofasking ‘whatif ?’ questionsinallowingnewfuturestotakeshape.Thesemethodsworld-makedifferentlyin smallwaysandhavethepotentialtohavemoremajoraffectsandeffects.

Alsoconsideringthemethodologiesviawhichfeministresearchmaybeconducted andfeministandqueerfuturesmade,LindsayKellytracksthedevelopmentofherparticipatorytasteworkshops,inwhichpeoplebakeandeatAnzacbiscuits,astheymoved frombeinghosted ‘inreallife’ toonlinespacesduringtheCOVID-19pandemic.She arguesthattherequirementtomovetoZoomworkshopsopenedupherunderstanding ofthenormativeassumptionsthat ‘beingtogetherin-person’ isbasedon – bothinterms ofCOVID-19lockdownsandforparticipatorymethodsmorewidely.Exploringtheonline workshopsinrelationtodigitalartworks,shearguesthatthey ‘revealhowtogetherness mustbecontinuallymadeupandcreatedasfeminist,queeraffordances’ and ‘trigger debatesabouthowcollectivistandfeministfuturesshouldoperatemovingforward’

KieraObbardandLaurenMcLeadtakeanunderstandingofmethodsawayfromacademicresearchtoAudostraddle,adigitalcommunityandpublicationforandrunby LGBTQIA2s+people,whichtheyarguefunctionstoqueerdigitalspaceandcreatefeministfutures.Instabilityandtensionarecentraltotheiranalysisandobjectofstudy,notonly inrelationtothecontentandaudienceoftheplatformbutalsohowitoperatesinthe contextofhegemonicpowerstructures.Theyreflectonhow ‘thelong-termviabilityof thesespacesisultimatelydependentoncapitalistfoundingmodels’;whichrequires ‘findingwaystoqueerthismodelfromwithin’.Yet,theyfoundthatwhileAutostraddle attemptedtointerruptthesystem,itstillremainedtiedtoandconstrainedbyit.They arguethat ‘perhapsAutostraddleisabletotrulyevokeaqueerframework because of theinternet’scapitalisticlimitations’.Thisdoesn’tmeanithasfailed,andgivenupon itsqueerintent,butratherthatinitsrefusaltoconformit ‘adaptedasameansofsurvival’ . This flexibility mightwellmakeitstrongerandmoreresilientinthelongterm.

LiuXinreflectsontheprocessofco-designinganexperimentalmobilegame,Square Cat:IdleFishEater,inwhichacatdestroysandeatstheentireearth.Xinexploresthecocreationofthegameasafeministmethodologyofmaking,aswellasanalysing,futures. ContextualisingSquareCatinwiderdebatesabouthowgamesandgamificationcanhelp publicsimaginefutures,Xinarguesthatthefeministmethodologyofco-designingit ‘gamesthegame’.Complicatingbinaryideasoffuturesaseitheropeneduporforeclosed throughgames,oroffuturesaseithergoodorbad,SquareCatdramatisesthelogicsof gaming,includingofwinningandlosing,and ‘ask[s]theplayertoentertainthepossibility ofplayingagame[…]wherethefuturemightbemultipleevenasthebeginningand endingofthegameseemstobeprovidedinadvance’ .

Intheircontribution,ÅsåStåhl,SaskiaGullstrand,LiJönssonandKristinaLindströmalso complicatedominantnarrativesoffutures – whattheycallthe ‘thinstories’ ofdystopian andtech-utopianfutures – throughtheirco-creationdesign-ledcollaborationproject,Un/ MakingPollination.Attendingtothedecreasingnumberofpollinatorsandalackofimaginationaboutthepossibilityotherworlds,theprojectcreatedaseriesofpostersonpollination asfeministmethodsofopeningupecosocialimaginaries.Thepaperpresentsacritical accountofthe ‘methodassemblage’ ofcreatingandsharingtheposters,whichdrawfrom academicandactivistworkandhighlighttheimportanceofsituatedness,reflexivity,complexityandambiguity.Ratherthanprovide ‘thinstories’,theyarguetheposterswork through ‘thepoeticartisticexpressionofclarityandsmudginess’,luringviewersintoclose inspectionand ‘invit[ing]anexperimentationregardinghowtounderstandthickentanglements’ throughwhichpresentsandfuturescanbere-made.

Alsoexaminingquestionsofmulti-species,environmentalfutures,intheFeminist Forumsection,EkaterinaGladkovaandNahoMatsudatakeupurgentissuesofpresent andfuturefoodproductionandapplyafeministlenstotheindustrialfarmingofpigs. DrawingonaresearchprojectcalledRe:Pig,theyarguethathumanandmore-thanhumanentanglementshavethepotentialtobeshapednotjustbyexploitationanddominationbutbymultispeciesconnectionandkinship.Thispaperputsfeministmethods intopracticeintheformofavisualessayfeaturingspeculativescenariosfromanillustratedzine.Eachscenariosetsouttoprovokeand ‘re-thinkthecompromisedlivesof farmedpigsandotheraffectedspeciesandchallengetheconceptionsoffarmed animals’ agency’ .

Anothertakeonhow ‘stayingwiththetrouble’ canelicitnewfuturesisfoundin JessamyPerriam,MarisaLeavittCohn,MichaelHockenhull,LaraReime,LuisLanda, KatrineMeldgaardKjærandHenrietteFriis’sarticleabout ‘workshoppingtroubles’ WrittenaboutandbymembersofETHOS,thefeministSTSlabatCopenhagen’sITU thatspecialisesindigitalmethods,thecollectivereflecttogetheronworkshopsthat aimedtorevealinsightsintotheircollectivepractice,butinsteadof ‘congealingaset offeministprinciples’ theysurfaced ‘proliferationsofdisconcertmentsandtroubles’ DrawingonHaraway’swork,thelabunderstandstheseasrequiringthemto ‘staywith thetrouble’;ofrepresentation,ofthediscomfortofresearcheraccountability,andwith consentasneverdone.Thelabthereforeoffers ‘workshoppingtroubles’ as ‘amethod fornavigatingresearchdesignchoicesindigitalmethodsprojectsthatsupportsnegotiatingtheworld-makinginwhichweparticipate’ .

Eliza Chandler,MeganA.Johnson,ChelseaJones,ElisabethHarrisonandCarlaRicepay closeattentiontotheirexperiencesofconductingresearchthroughcriticalaccessmethodologies,inwhichethicalandpoliticalquestionsofdis/abilityandaccessareprioritised. Reflectingcarefullyondifferentprojectsthatmobilisecitizenjournalismandartistic researchmethods,theyhighlighthowmomentsoffriction – wheretheirattemptstopractisecriticalaccessmethodologiesthroughtheconception,designandprocessesoftheir research – sensitisedthemnotonlytoproblemsandfailuresbutalsotohowfrictionmay itselfbetransformational.Theseauthorsarguethat ‘movestowardsfeministcripfutures arerarelyutopic,butarefulloffrictions,occlusions,grapplings,andrestarts’.Understand inthisway,criticalaccessmethodologiescansignalandprefigure ‘cripfeministfutures’‘in whichdisabilityanddifferenceareexpected,welcomed,andpositionedasvitalandgenerativewaysofbeingintheworld’ .

IntheFeministForumsection,NithiliaKanagasabaialsotrainshereyeonthefrictions, fictionsand fissionsthatcharacterisedherresearch,whichfocusesonthe figureofthe IndiandoctoralresearcherengagedinproducingfeministknowledgeofIndiafromapositioninaUSuniversity.Inparticular,sheexaminesherinteractionswithherinterlocutors throughscreens,asshecontacted,recruitedandinterviewedfromafarthemviaemail, socialmedia,andSkype,andarguesthescreensunderscorethepartial,mediated natureofthe ‘epistemicinequalities’ ofunevengeographiesandtransnationalresearch. Indeed,thescreenshighlighthowinterviewingmaynot,ornotonly,involvethe emotionalclosenessthatfeministworkonmethodologieshaslongarguedfor(e.g. Oakley 1981),but(also)frictionsthatrevealglobalpowerrelations,fragmentsthat troubleseamless,unified,holisticstoriesandfailuresthatmarkhowspecifictypesof knowledgeproductionbecomeuniversalisedandhierarchised.Stayingwithsuch momentsoffrictionanddiscomfortprovidethepossibilitiesto ‘reversetheethnographic gaze[…]inorderto(re)imagineamoreequitablefeministresearchfuture’ .

JustineGrønbækPorsandSigneRavncontributetofeministandqueerresearchby developingamethodologythroughwhichtoidentifyandarticulatethealternative futuresthattheyseeaslatentwithinempiricalresearch.Focusingontheirresearchprojectsonyoungwomen’simaginedfutures,theytroubleprevailingtheoreticalaccountsof future-makingaslinearprocessesbyanalysinghowtheirresearchdatashowstimeand futuresasnon-linear.Theydothisthroughanaffectivepracticeof ‘readingagainstthe grain’,inwhichdisconcertingorintensemoments,whichmightseemminor,canbe amplifiedto ‘gobeyondnormative,chronologicalnarratives’.Thevalueofsucha readingstrategy,theyargue,istoconsider ‘methods’ beyondquestionsofresearch designsothatmethodsofanalysis – includingofdatageneratedthroughwell-establishedmethodssuchasinterviews – canbeseenas ‘sheddinglightonotherwaysof makingfuturesandbeingintimethanthelinearnorm’ .

Finally,theconversationbetweenGökçeGünel,ChikaWatanabeandourselves explorestheworkofPatchworkEthnography,launchedbyGünel,WatanabeandSaiba VarmainJune2020.PatchworkEthnographyseekstore-thinkthemethodofethnographyinthecontextofchangingorganisationalstructuresintheuniversity,genderedwork practices,caringresponsibilities,theclimatecrisisandthepandemic,drawingattentionto andseeingmuchvalueinhowmanyresearchersworkwithandaroundthesechallenges andpressures,stitchingtogetherrelationshipswithparticipants, fieldworkandoutputs.In theconversation,wecollectivelyexplorewhatpatchworkethnographyinvolves,howitis informedbyfeministwork,whyithitanervewithsomanyresearchers,andwhatits futuresmightbe.Theconversationincludesreflectionsonmethodologyandmethod, writingpractices,personalandprofessionalrelationships,labour,messandwhat ‘patchwork’ offerspoliticallyandethicallyasameansofcreativelyusheringinotherkindsof world-making.

Despitethedifferencesintheirresearchapproaches,fociandpresentation,acrossallof thecontributionsisacloseattentiontothewaysinwhichradicalsocial,cultural,economic,politicalandecologicalshiftsrequireurgent,ethicalresponses.AsArundhatiRoy arguedintheearlydaysofthepandemic:

Nothingcouldbeworsethanareturntonormality.Historically,pandemicshaveforced humanstobreakwiththepastandimaginetheirworldanew.Thisoneisnodifferent.Itis

aportal,agatewaybetweenoneworldandthenext.Wecanchoosetowalkthroughit,draggingthecarcassesofourprejudiceandhatred,ouravarice,ourdatabanksanddeadideas, ourdeadriversandsmokyskiesbehindus.Orwecanwalkthroughlightly,withlittleluggage, readytoimagineanotherworld.Andreadyto fightforit.(Roy 2020,np)

Feministmethods – capaciouslydefinedanddeployed – haveacrucialroleinthiscritical andcreativere-imaginationandre-makingoftheworldswecananddowant.

Acknowledgements

BeckieandKatthanktheAFSeditors,MaryanneDeverandLisaAdkins,fortheirgenerousattention todetailandcareofthisspecialissue.Wegreatlyappreciatetheconstructivecommentsofthe anonymousreviewersandthankallthecontributorstothisvolume.

DisclosureStatement

Nopotentialconflictofinterestwasreportedbytheauthor(s).

NoteonContributors

RebeccaColeman researchesintheareasofdigitalmediaandculture,futuresandpresents,affect andthebody,andinterdisciplinarycreativemethods.SheiscurrentlyResearcherinResidenceat KnowleWestMediaCentre(KWMC),anartscentreandcharity,wheresheiscollaboratingonprojectsoncommunitytech,arts-ledmethodsanddigitalfutures.WithDawnLyon,ChloeTurner, CorinevanEmmerikandEmilyGrabham,shehasrecently finishedaprojectontimeandfeeling duringtheCovidpandemic,resultinginarticlesin Sociology, JournalofSociology, Historyofthe HumanSciences, MediaTheory and SociologicalReview.Otherrecentpublicationsinclude Howto dosocialresearchwith … (editedwithKatJungnickelandNirmalPuwar,2024,GoldsmithsPress) and Glitterworlds:TheFuturePoliticsofaUbiquitousThing (2020,GoldsmithsPress).SheisProfessor intheBristolDigitalFuturesInstitute(BDFI)andSchoolofSociology,PoliticsandInternational Studies(SPAIS),UniversityofBristol,UK.

KatJungnickel researchesinvention,genderandDIYtechnologycommunitiesofpracticeusing inventiveandvisualmethods.Sheisco-directorofMethodsLabandPIontheEuropeanResearch Council-fundedproject PoliticsofPatents:ReimaginingCitizenshipviaClothingInventions1820–2020 (www.PoliticsofPatents.org)intheSociologyDepartment,Goldsmiths,UniversityofLondon. Togetherwithateamofsewingsocialscientistsshehasbeenexploringcitizenshipandchanging socio-politicalissuesviaspeculativesewing – researching,reconstructingandre-imaginingacollectionoflesser-knownclothinginventionsfrompatentarchives.Recentpublicationsinclude: Howto dosocialresearchwith (editedwithRebeccaColemanandNirmalPuwar,2024,GoldsmithsPress), (ed) Transmissions:criticaltacticsformakingandcommunicatingresearch (2020,MITPress), Creative PracticeEthnographies (co-writtenwithLarissaHjorth,AnneHarrisandGretchenCoombs,2020, Rowman&Littlefield)and BikesandBloomers:VictorianWomenInventorsandtheirExtraordinary CycleWear (2018,GoldsmithsPress).

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