THE POWER OF CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT: What Does it Mean to do Critical Urban Scholarship from the South?

Abstract In this essay I reflect upon the challenges of conducting critical urban research from the global South, where profound inequalities and limited resources shape our work and where, at the same time, academics are often called upon for help by communities, social movements and governments alike. Drawing from experiences during my research in Latin America, I explore the complexities of engaging with marginalized communities, whose aspirations sometimes defy traditional critiques of urban interventions, with states and governments that are often less monolithic than we think, and with businesses that are sometimes willing to listen. I advocate for research that not only critiques inequalities but also identifies pathways toward alternatives that reduce them. In so doing, I argue for taking knowledge produced in the South—and specifically knowledge from problem solving—as foundational to theory rather than as peripheral case studies. While it can be risky, engaging with governments, communities and organizations offers opportunities to make social science both critical and actionable. This essay calls for reflexive, inclusive scholarship that embraces the complexities of inequality and the possibilities for change.