Deconstructing the ivory tower: The liminal space between margins and centers in climate research

Belmin, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1680-7306, Bez, C.S., & Soomauroo, Z. (2026). Deconstructing the ivory tower: The liminal space between margins and centers in climate research. Energy Research & Social Science 132 e104553. 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104553.

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Abstract

What does it mean to produce climate science in 2026? Building on the dialogical approach of Fenner and Harcourt [1], this paper explores how positionalities and emotional landscapes shape the work of three female researchers in climate science. Through a collective, reflexive dialogue, we confront the personal and structural tensions embedded in global climate science, examining power asymmetries, the tokenization of diversity, and the hegemonic dominance of quantification and masculinized norms. Our reflections draw attention to how scientific practices often, even unintentionally, perpetuate the very injustices they aim to address. These inherent exclusionary practices lead us to the idea of academia as a border. By weaving together anecdotal recollections and critical theory, we illuminate how situatedness matters, not just methodologically but politically. We critique the neoliberal and heteronormative underpinnings of academic institutions and propose a future-oriented agenda grounded in relationality, emotional honesty, and epistemic inclusivity. Our concluding recommendations aim to shift academic practice from extractive performance metrics to spaces of resistance, care, and collective transformation. As part of this, we bring a reflective tool inspired by Audre Lorde's [2] Questionnaire to Oneself to invite deeper engagement with the contradictions and silences within our own scholarly work.

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