Methodological challenges of using participatory methods

Date: Friday 21 September 2007, 9.30 - 4pm

Location: Beech Grove House, University of Leeds

Workshop Leader: Nick Emmel, University of Leeds

Workshop Content

This workshop will investigate the challenges of using participatory approaches in social science research and interrogate areas including:

the role of participants as users of research
the strong internal validity of the findings from participatory research and the possibilities for the generalisability and transferability of findings from this research
addressing relationships of power, such as the demands of institutions, like universities and funding bodies, for auditable outputs from research activites.

The workshop aims to:

give a critical overview of participatory research methods
give examples of these methods in use
identify opportunities and insights that can be gained from using these methods
consider practical challenges of incorporating these insights into social science research
consider constraints and ethical challenges imposed on the researcher because of demands to produce certain kinds of outputs, and to identify ways of overcoming these challenges.

Programme

Time	Session
9.30	Deepening participation in our research [new window, 12 Mb] Rachel Pain (University of Durham)
10.00	Different strokes for different folks Jill Aylott, Alex McClimens and Kevin Phillips (co-researcher) (Sheffield Hallam University) Homogeneity versus heterogeneity: This time it's personal... [new window, 241kb]
10.30	Break
10.45	Participatory ethics and working with girls: A Ugandan case study [new window, 9Mb] Louise Waite and Cath Conn ( University of Leeds)
11.15	All join in! Participative evaluation with Quentin Blake. Towards a participative evaluation of Newham’s Architecture Crew [new window, 703kb] Leila Barker (Fundamental Architectural Inclusion)
11.45	Using participatory video to communicate results of participatory research to policy makers Nick Emmel (University of Leeds) Healthy Gipton: Participatory video to convey research findings to policy makers [new window, 38MB, .wmv] Note: this is 15 minute video so it is a very big file! .wmv files will play in Real Player, Windows Media Player and various other media players. Download a free version of Real Player [new window]. Description of the video (by Nick Emmel) This video was an output from a study commissioned by a Primary Care Group to investigate perceptions of health needs in a low income geographically bounded community in Leeds. The study was participatory, researching with groups within the estate, invariably the most accessible, through participatory approaches such as: mapping of healthy and unhealthy aspects of the estate, plays by children, and designing new facilities for health. Some of these are shown in the video. The research team also tried to access other groups through, among other strategies, co-researchers. We disseminated the research to the PCG in three ways: one of the groups in the video agreed to talk to the PCG board about their experiences of disinvestment in services on the estate and what they felt their needs were. we wrote the inevitable report in which we were particularly careful to include as much of the material we gained through the various participatory methods. Finally, with Vera Media, a local participatory video company, Healthy Gipton was produced by participants in the research. It has long intrigued me to understand if this approach was the most effective way of getting the participants' voices into the PCG. It was certainly watched closely and had an impact on the board members who talked about it giving insights into the lives of those they were making decisions about that they had not previously considered.
12.15	Lunch
1.00	Workshop session The nature of participation The methodological challenges for social scientists of incorporating insights gained from using participatory methods in the social sciences. Overcoming the constraints on participatory research imposed through demands made on academics and researchers to produce particular kinds of outputs from their research.
2.00	Break
2.15	Workshop session (continued from above)
3.15	Ethical and methodological challenges of participatory research Plenary session
4.00	Close

Audience

The workshop is suitable for social science researchers interested participatory approaches. No experience of using these methods is necessary.

Registration

There is no charge for attending the training workshop and lunch and refreshments throughout the day will be provided. Participants must fund their own travel and accommodation if necessary.

THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL. We have started a waiting list, if you would like to be added to this list then please complete the online registration form.

Registration deadline: 12 September 2007

Top / Back to Events Calendar / Back to Training Workshops page