Transcript Research as Praxis - Cultural Development Network

True Stories:
Research as Praxis
Deborah Warr
Centre for Health & Society
University of Melbourne
Structure for the presentation:
• Defining research as praxis
• Describing the example of a research
project
• Developing the project
– Engaging people in the process of research
• Collecting the data
– ‘imagining how the world appears in another’s eyes’
• Disseminating the findings
– To ensure that the research makes a difference
(Social science) research as
praxis:
• Praxis – a Action, praxis; spec the
practice of a technical subject or art, as
opp . to or arising out of the theory of it. b
Habitual action, accepted practice,
custom.
– i) The art and craft of research practice
(skilful, technical, creative)
– ii) Research that is concerned to understand
the meaningfulness of everyday practice
– iii) Orientated to action
Eg.- Exploring social capital in contexts
of socio-economic disadvantage
• Funded by the NHMRC to explore ‘Social contexts for
health in disadvantaged communities’
• Concepts of social capital and social network analysis
were used to frame the research and interpret findings
• Studies undertaken in two clusters of neighbourhoods:
Corio/Norlane/Rosewall;
Broadmeadows/Westmeadows/Dallas
• Produced a ‘Report for the Community’ summarising key
findings from the C/N/R site: ‘There’s good and bad
everywhere you go: exploring local contexts for social
capital’
• Report disseminated in worker network meetings, to
residents and outside the neighbourhoods (Local gov.
state gov, policy bodies)
Engaging communities in the
processes of research:
• First things first: consulting with service
providers/stakeholders
• ‘This is a place where people stay in their
houses’
• ‘Communities’ often not interested in research –
can’t see the value – want to see more
action/less talk
• Need to give something back- demonstrate the
value of research
• Residents have opportunity to explain aspects of
their everyday life – positive and negative
Key issues that emerged:
• Residents related important positive aspects of the
neighbourhood
• Dense local social networks that circulated important
forms of social support (bonding)
• Experienced stigmatisation of the neighbourhood
• participants highly involved in intra-neighbourhood
networks few participants involved in extraneighbourhood networks (bridging)
• High levels of social isolation within the
neighbourhood– ‘keeping to yourself’ was a strategy
for managing difficulties in the NB
Collecting research data:
• Exploring culture in social science is like using a
map to navigate unfamiliar territory- the
difference between abstract depiction and ‘the
practical space of journeys actually made’
(Bourdieu, 1977)
• Embodying and situating oneself in research
settings
• Collaborative research design (eg. peer
interviews, critical reference groups, working
parties)
Analysing research: ‘talking
behind people’s back’
• Analysis and interpretation of research is
inevitably fraught with the danger of
misunderstanding the meaning of people’s
words
• Difficulties of recognising individual experiences
when they are collectivised
• Research should be ‘objectively subjective’
– Insights derived through systematic methods
– Linked to other empirical work
– Embedded in theoretical understanding
– Verified through different kinds of evidence
- Validating findings through discussions/presentations
Eg. Interpreting and responding to
issue of neighbourhood stigma
• Key finding from the research (I wasn’t expecting this
issue to arise as frequently as it did in residents’
accounts)
• Controversial finding
• Wasn’t reflected in everyone’s experiences
• Some people felt that I was stigmatising the
neighbourhood by talking about it (which is a real risk)
• Raised questions of how to talk about the research
findings without making things worse- research findings
also stigmatise neighbourhoods (even if this isn’t the
intention)
Theoretical insights:
‘It matters little that the discourses of demonisation
that have mushroomed about them [poor
neighbourhoods] often have only tenuous
connections to the reality of everyday life in
them. A pervading territorial stigma is firmly
affixed upon the residents of such
neighbourhoods of socioeconomic exile that
adds its burden to the disrepute of poverty and
resurging prejudice against ethnic minorities and
immigrants’ (Wacquant, 1996:1644).
‘Bottom of the class’
The news that Prince William has been dressing
up as a member of the working class shouldn't
surprise us, says John Harris. From sneering
comedy shows to elitist politics, class snobbery
is alive and well
(Feature article in The Guardian on the ‘chav’
phenomenon in the UK,11/4/2006)
Disseminating the findings:
• (Where appropriate) participants need
accessible summaries of research findings
• Receiving more emphasis in funding
applications
• Facilitates the translation of research into
effective policy and practice
• Dissemination activities useful for validating
findings
• Also up to researchers to argue for and deliver
evidence that demonstrates the value of
dissemination