Positionality is the reflective process of understanding our own social position and identity relative to others and the workwe engage in (for example, research, technical assistance, nonprofit programs). Social constructions like gender, race, and class, and the way these all intersect with each other, determine individuals’ social positions, which significantly shape our experiences, power, privileges, and even expertise. All of these factors, in turn, shape the thinking, approach, and process of our work in overt and subtle ways. Examining personal positionality is important for research and it can and should be examined at every stage of a project.

This toolkit is intended to support researchers, practitioners, policymakers, organizational leaders, and all who seek toexamine their own motives, identity, and feelings, to better understand how these variables influence their work. The toolkit is divided into three main parts: 

• An overview of positionality and reflexivity; we provide definitions, trace the history of the use of these concepts, and discuss how and why positionality matters for our work.
• The case for including positionality and reflexivity in community-engaged and participatory methods and ways to do so.
• Activities on reflecting on positionality and reflexivity. 

We hope this toolkit will serve as a catalyst for all of our readers in their journeys of ensuring their work is contextualized and transparent.