Dear Friends,
We begin with the new unit on participatory research. Much of the issues raised in the previous 1 &2 units can now be looked at both from conceptual and methodological standpoints. The reading attached to this unit will help you understand the underlying principles and process of participatory research.
Let us in next ten days that is till 3rd Sept 2014, understand differences between the two-research paradigms viz., conventional research (social science) and participatory research to understand the PR essentials better.
In brief, let’s go through the differences point wise....
CR & PR: Differences
What is the research for?
PR: action; CR: understanding with perhaps action later
Research for whom?
PR: local people; CR: institutional, professional, personal interests
Whose knowledge counts?
PR: local people; CR: experts
What is the basis of selection of problem?
PR: local priorities; CR: Funding priorities, institutional agendas, professional interests, choice of methodology
Methodology chosen for?
PR: empowerment, mutual learning, CR: disciplinary conventions, objectivity & truth
Who takes part in the research process?
Problem identification
PR: local people and researcher, CR: researcher
Data collection
PR: local people and researcher, CR: researcher
Interpretation
PR: local concepts & frameworks, CR: disciplinary concepts & frameworks
Analysis
PR: local people & researcher, CR: researcher
Presentation of findings
PR: locally accessible & useful, CR: by researcher to other academics or funding bodies
Action on findings
PR: integral to the process, CR: separate; May not happen
Who takes action?
PR: local people with or without external people, CR: external agencies
Who owns the results?
PR: shared, CR: researcher
What is emphasized?
PR: process, CR: outcomes
The defining variable for participatory research is ownership & control of information by the people themselves. Ideally there would be no outside people working with anyone without the expressed agreement and invitation of those community members themselves. In PR, the questions, the reasons for intervention, the strategies, the methods are derived from the communities themselves.
Remember the underpinnings of PR: whose knowledge counts? Who benefits from the research or project? Who names the issue or the question to be undertaken? You get your answer.
Over the years, quantitative methods of data collection are supplemented with qualitative. It is no longer a debate between quantitative or qualitative; it is perhaps increasingly becoming both quantitative and qualitative. The experiential ways of communicating knowledge, information, and elements of data are used and accepted. Hence the question of conventional (social science research/applied science research) Vs. Participatory Research is no longer dichotomous one.
Three things determine the nature of research pursuits – intention behind the research, framework of research and the tools and methods of data collection. If framework and approach is participatory, we can use some of the conventional tools such as observation, oral history, and if the universe if small even a survey, to conduct research. The fundamental question is how we are engaging people in that piece of research and are they going to be benefited by that. If social scientists/applied scientists address these two issues, they will be able to address some of the challenges their discipline face in accommodating PR.
Some of you have not yet submitted assignment 1, I am sure you are in process of finalising it.
Please note Guest Faculty Forum begins tomorrow.
I shall upload the question for reflection of Unit 3 by 27th Aug 2014.
All the best,
Purvi