The lettered barriada. Workers, archival power, and the politics of knowledge in Puerto Rico

Abstract

young girls who live outside of Barbados, which are largely gleaned from non-medical, online sources. While Suspicion focuses on HPV, and Charles only mentions the COVID-19 pandemic in the conclusion of the book, many may read and interpret this work through a lens colored by the pandemic and be reminded of the misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID19 vaccines that abounded. Some may find it challenging to find compassion in the Barbadian parents’ narratives, and to understand how they could make decisions for their daughters’ health based on unconfirmed stories about the negative effects of the vaccine on girls living thousands of miles away. However, in couching her theoretical orientation in transnational feminist thought and women of color feminist theory, Charles is able to emphasize suspicion as a form of care and this facilitates a greater understanding of the nuance behind these choices. The author states that Suspicion makes empirical contributions across disciplines which include medical anthropology, science and technology studies and critical race studies (16). However, this list can be extended to include Caribbean studies, gender studies and history. Additionally, Suspicion would be useful for those teaching qualitative research methodology as an example of how to reflexively collect data in communities that researchers do not come from, and how to privilege and center the narratives of communities that are often made marginal.