Fear and loathing in Lesotho: An autoethnographic analysis of sport for development and peace
International Review for the Sociology of Sport
Published online on September 10, 2013
Abstract
This paper is an autoethnographic analysis of my experiences working for a year in southern Africa on a sport for development and peace (SDP) project. I reflect on the ways in which some of my day-to-day practices exemplified aspects of whiteness and masculinity. In terms of methodology, I combine literature from autoethnography and arts-based inquiry to argue for the use of drawing as a method of inquiry and a mode of presentation to examine and illustrate my experiences as a young, white, male development worker/"expert". I present three graphic vignettes that I produced through reflections on my experiences and through reading literature from critical race and development scholars. The ultimate aim with this paper is to put forward a critical counter-narrative that upsets the "white savior" story that is common within development and SDP.