Extract

This book is grounded: The qualitative inquiry that birthed Asher’s revelations

During the first few years after 9/11, the myriad sociopolitical and cultural shifts that occurred in public consciousness spurred in me an interest in the types of local epistemological and ontological frameworks that were developing in relation to media representations of “Terror.” I understand “Terror” as the heinous instances of fear, intimidation, and mayhem that incite negative national and global repercussions (such as the activities of a suicide bomber in Iraq or Afghanistan; see the Wikipedia definition available September 11, 2014: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Terrorism). I was also interested in epistemes and ontologies that developed around “terror,” the types of private or personal instances of dread that incite negative local repercussions (such as a violent or mean-spirited transaction between strangers or lovers; a web of cruel gossip or lies, or an interpersonal disassociation among friends or even those perceived to be strangers).

When I say “local epistemological and ontological frameworks” I am referring to those complex ways of knowing and being that function at the site(s) of the individual and are shared with members of a similarly situated community (Staples, 2012a, b). Such frameworks often manifest as/in talk and writings. To begin to gauge these things, I met with a group of peers (post-adolescent/ young adult, middle class, college-educated, Black women) in 2002. During our meetings, we discussed stories of Black and Brown women in international contexts, who were depicted in media after 9/11. My...