Summary
Have you ever been a part of a participatory research process or the use of a participatory method only to find that it fell short of any real shift of power dynamics? Have you ever compared notes with another participatory design researcher only to find out their definition of participatory research and design is different than your own? Have you faced opposition from your organization in practicing research in a more participatory way? What does research even mean, what is its purpose, and how does research change from community to community, context to context? Based on that, what are the future possibilities of research? Come, join the conversation, and see what Victor Udoewa has to say about such experiences, the different definitions of participatory research and how participatory research can actually be used to reinforce hierarchies. One way he has found to dismantle that system is to practice radical participatory research. He will share what that means, how it looks, and how you can begin moving in that direction along with a direct challenge to our community of researchers in regards to our own power.
Key Insights
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Radical participatory research redefines the roles of researchers and community members, promoting equal status.
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The traditional researcher paradigm often perpetuates restrictive hierarchies and should be decolonized.
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Communities have historically practiced forms of participatory research long before formal definitions emerged.
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Compensating community members fairly is crucial and should reflect the value of their contributions and sacrifices.
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Empathy should be embedded in research teams rather than a goal pursued, as true empathy is often not achievable due to power imbalances.
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Community-centered methods enhance inclusivity and result in more effective recruitment and engagement.
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Systems thinking is more accessible through radical participatory research, enabling comprehensive understanding of issues.
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Communities often have a clearer and more nuanced understanding of their needs than institutional knowledge can provide.
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Research should transition from being problem-centered to desire-based, allowing communities to envision their futures positively.
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Legality and compliance issues in organizations can often be navigated by taking incremental steps towards radical participatory practices.
Notable Quotes
"You cannot talk about alternative futures without talking about alternative pasts."
"Research can transform or revert its definition from just investigation to a pluriverse of definitions."
"When we empower others, we are actually reinforcing the hierarchy we seek to subvert."
"The power dynamics at the beginning and end of the project were exactly the same."
"Communities love to define themselves by what they have, not by what they lack."
"Empathy is an impossibility. We need to embed empathy on our team with the community members."
"When the community is a lead, we're pulling on their cultural and lived experiential knowledge instead of just our research knowledge."
"Plural reversal research allows us to envision futures that don't revolve around capitalist principles."
"The moment you take a stab at constructing a community, they’ll help you get a more qualitatively representative sample."
"Every single one of us experienced a shift in power, whether giving up power or assuming more power."
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