Narrating the Unspoken Vignettes as a Method for Revealing Epistemic Violence in Field Research

Abstract

This article explores the potential of the vignette method as a qualitative research tool for uncovering experiences of epistemic violence in fieldwork settings. Drawing on ethnographic research with waste pickers in Türkiye, it addresses a key methodological challenge: conventional interview techniques often fail to capture the complexity of epistemic oppression, especially when marginalized groups have internalized hierarchical knowledge systems. The vignettes—developed from preliminary interviews, participant observations, and written accounts by waste pickers—were intentionally varied in tone (positive, negative, neutral) and designed to remain open-ended. Used in interviews with 20 participants, they functioned not as structured prompts eliciting predetermined answers but as conversational catalysts. Delivered orally and informally, the vignettes encouraged participants to discuss sensitive topics—such as discrimination, epistemic exclusion, and societal devaluation—without the pressure and risk of direct personal disclosure. Findings show that while participants often refrained from explicitly addressing epistemic violence in direct questioning, they spoke more openly when responding to these hypothetical yet contextually grounded scenarios. The method revealed how waste pickers negotiate, resist, or internalize epistemic violence in their everyday interactions with municipal authorities, formal labor markets, and broader societal structures. It also exposed subtle moral distancing mechanisms through which society legitimizes their marginalization. The article argues that, when applied reflexively and ethically, the vignette method offers a flexible and epistemologically sensitive approach to documenting latent forms of epistemic violence. Beyond this case, it holds significant potential for social scientists seeking to investigate structurally silenced experiences across diverse contexts.