Papers by Dwanna Robertson
European Sociological Review, Jan 7, 2013
Sociology of race & ethnicity, Feb 8, 2016
Centering Indigenous research in mainstream sociology is difficult at best. Native studies, in ge... more Centering Indigenous research in mainstream sociology is difficult at best. Native studies, in general, meet with certain resistance from Western academia and its politics of knowledge and inquiry. Western thought often deems Indigenous research as irrelevant within the construction of knowledge. Indigenous methodologies are dismissed as nonconforming, invalid, or inapplicable. Worse still, scholars (like me) who insist on using Indigenous epistemologies are often framed as combative, difficult, or ethnocentric. But ultimately, Indigenous research is not about proving its worthiness within the dominant discourse or being accepted by the academy with its centuries-old practices of colonization. Indigenous research is vital for challenging deeply embedded colonial assumptions and practices that have long constituted Native Peoples as objects of research rather than as authorities on their own lived experiences. Furthermore, the value of Indigenous research is more than knowledge production: it is about the being and the doing of that knowledge and its impact on our communities. Indigenous research is transformative. Consequently, Indigenous researchers do social research for more than the profitability of intellectual property or freedom. Indigenous research is an act of subversive resistance because the knowledge produced must be practical and applicable in our movement toward collective liberation, particularly within the academy. In this essay, I review two books that position Indigenous people as legitimate theorists, as experts on our own lives, capable of assigning meaning and significance to our lived realities, experiences, and challenges in the ongoing struggle toward decolonization of our existence. These works do important work for Native and non-Native peoples alike. First, the books give an overview of the consequences of colonialism for all world citizens: loss of language, culture, identity, voice, and history. Next, each book provides conceptual bridges to inform the relationship between Indigenous inquiry and Western theory. Finally, each works to demystify Indigenous research with wellarticulated analysis using concrete examples and rich epistemological diversity. Yakama Rising: Indigenous Cultural Revit alization, Activism, and Healing is an insightful, perceptive ethnography. The author, Michelle M. Jacob, is an associate professor of ethnic studies and an affiliated faculty member in sociology at the University of San Diego. She is also the director of the Center for Native Health and Culture at Heritage University on the Yakama Reservation. Yakama Rising is a short book, consisting of an introduction and five chapters in just under 130 pages, that presents three case studies about the traditional dances, language, and foods of the Yakama to explore the people and processes involved in the conceptualization, teachings, and implementation of a Yakama-specific decolonizing praxis. As a culture-specific study of Indigenous activism, Jacob accomplishes a great deal with this effectively written, theoretically and methodologically rich, important work. From an insider perspective, 628804 SREXXX10.1177/2332649216628804Sociology of Race and EthnicityBook Review bookreview2016
Sociology Compass, 2020
Settler colonialism expands race and racism beyond ideological perspectives and reveals the links... more Settler colonialism expands race and racism beyond ideological perspectives and reveals the links between historical and contemporary racialized social relations and practices–the racial structure–of American society. In this article, we define settler colonialism, highlight sociological scholarship that uses settler colonial theoretical frameworks, and explore ways in which this work enriches, intersects with, complicates, and contradicts key assumptions within the sociology of race.
UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collectio... more UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. Learn more... ProQuest, Card-carrying Indian: The social construction of an American Indian legal identity. by Robertson ...
Abstract: Despite the theoretical and political importance of perceived worker insecurity in Euro... more Abstract: Despite the theoretical and political importance of perceived worker insecurity in Europe, theoretical and empirical foci on post-industrial economies leave the literature wanting of explanations of cross-national variation in this insecurity and its different forms. Synthesizing and extending the ‘Varieties of Capitalism ’ (VoC) approach and Power Resources Approach (PRA), this study derives and tests hypotheses in 27 European Union (EU) countries concerning the cross-national variation in workers ’ perceived insecurity about their jobs (job insecurity), their immediate labour market opportunities if they are laid off (labour market insecurity), and the combination of the two (employment insecurity). According to the results from hierarchical linear models of 2006 Eurobarometer data linked to country-level data, average levels of worker insecurity are generally greater in countries with (i) higher unemployment, (ii) lower unionization, (iii) Socialist traditions, (iv) low...
Sociology Compass, 2020
Settler colonialism expands race and racism beyond ideological perspectives and reveals the links... more Settler colonialism expands race and racism beyond ideological perspectives and reveals the links between historical and contemporary racialized social relations and practices–the racial structure–of American society. In this article, we define settler colonialism, highlight sociological scholarship that uses settler colonial theoretical frameworks, and explore ways in which this work enriches, intersects with, complicates, and contradicts key assumptions within the sociology of race.
American Indian Culture and Research Journal
This study examines the emergence and application of what I conceptualize as an American Indian L... more This study examines the emergence and application of what I conceptualize as an American Indian Legal Identity (AILI). AILI is an individual identity created by structural forces. Most importantly, a person can have an AILI without having either racial identity or ethnic identity. It stands on its own as proof of Indianness even though it was created in the discourse of federal Indian policy. The tribal reification of this federally defined authenticity birthed a racialized collective Indian identity. Furthermore, it has resulted in the internalized racialization of Native identity. AILI relies upon the verification of a degree of Indian blood as documented in the form of a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) card issued by the US Department of the Interior and through membership within a federally recognized tribe. By focusing on historical social construction of AILI and its current implications within Native populations about who qualifies to be Indian, I analyze semi-st...
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
American Indian Quarterly
Some days, I start to think that I earned this. Most days, I realize that no more than a little o... more Some days, I start to think that I earned this. Most days, I realize that no more than a little of the credit belongs to me. This accomplishment was only possible because of the goodness and grace of God, the sacrifice and determination of the ancestors who took the road of suffering people, and the love and support of my immediate and extended family, close friends, and good acquaintances. But most of the credit goes to the wonderful participants within this study. I am very grateful for all of you who shared your stories, experiences, emotions, and opinions with me in this study. I was once asked how it felt to talk to people about such complex issues, and I answered, "Humbling." My ability to write this dissertation depended upon your openness and generosity of spirit. Your kindness and goodwill will live in my heart forever. I am honored that you trusted me with your words. I hope you will find that I have done them justice. Thank you to my committee members for your guidance, insight, and encouragement. Joya Misra, you stand as the example of who I want to be as a scholar, professor, advisor, and colleague. Your neverending support, advocacy, and love during the doctoral process sustained me. Dr. Anna Branch, thank you for your mentorship and many kindnesses. Dr. David Cort, you are a teacher at heart and thank you for agreeing to be on my committee. Sonya Atalay, your integrity, wisdom, and sense of community benefit me and the entire UMass community both professionally and spiritually. I owe Donald Tomaskovic-Devey very special thanks for his willingness to invest his knowledge, experience, and goodness into my life and scholarship. Don and his wife, Barbara Tomaskovic-Devey, treated me with gentleness, kindness, and love, and I am forever grateful. My sincerest gratitude goes to Dr. Andrew Fullerton because the value of his influence on my work and life is immeasurable. In his roles of professor, co-author, and friend, Andy has vi mentored me through two graduate programs. I am also forever indebted to Dr. Thomas Shriver. Tom has always encouraged my research interests, gave clear and fruitful feedback on many projects, and continues to check in with me. I am also grateful for friends like Jonathan
Research in the Sociology of Work, 2011
Purpose In this chapter, we examine individual-and country-level differences in perceived job i... more Purpose In this chapter, we examine individual-and country-level differences in perceived job insecurity in the 27 European Union countries (EU27) within a multilevel framework.Design/ methodology/approach We primarily focus on cross-national differences in perceived job ...
European Sociological Review, 2013
UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissert... more UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. Learn more... ProQuest, Card-carrying Indian: The social construction of an American Indian legal identity. by Robertson ...
... Program Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services 301 HES Stillwater, OK 74078 DwannaRobertson Depa... more ... Program Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services 301 HES Stillwater, OK 74078 DwannaRobertson Department of Sociology Thompson Hall 200 Hicks Way University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003-9277 Final Report June 2010 ...
Injustice and Resistance in the United States, 2011
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Papers by Dwanna Robertson