Engaging with and moving on from participatory research: A personal reflection

Abstract

In this paper, I respond to the call to articulate experiences of the messy realities of participatory research. I reflect on my engagement and struggle with the realities and ethics of a piece of case study research, which set out with a participatory approach. The project involved a group of young people from an isolated rural community who appeared to be disconnecting from their secondary school. The research set out to develop understanding of the ways in which young people make connections (or not) in and with school, in order to further understanding of how schools might become more inclusive. A series of reflections on moments during the early stages of the research led to a significant shift in the methodological approach. The approach of this project eventually moved away from participatory research to an approach informed by Foucault's 'ethical project'. Here, the focus is on the subjection and practices of the researcher. I argue that, on reflection, the 'ethical project' framework was more appropriate for this kind of research, where the complexities of participatory research were reducing the transparency of complex power structures.

A case study: developing a safe space for vulnerable young people at school

“…Another key element of the project was that it ran through cycles and underwent regular evaluation, incorporating different stakeholder views at different times. In line with the ethos of collaborative enquiry, it was important to ensure that all members of the Pastoral Team and TA team were empowered to voice their opinions (Gristy, ), particularly given that I was their line manager.…”

Using Participatory Research for Early Childhood Advocacy:Reflections on Methodology

“…Firstly, it highlighted the 'situated nature' of participatory research in that the term 'participation' often means different things to different people, and the varying degree to which participants were involved in the research contributed to the complexity of the study. Researchers have emphasised the nature of participatory methodology as being essentially contextually bound, characterised by the shifting power relations between the participants and researcher involved (Herz, 1996;Gristy, 2014). In principle, the research was meant to enable participants to be actively involved However, in reality, their 'participation' was rather uneven and discontinuous.…”

“…Denzin and Lincoln (2005) assert that a distinctive aspect of participatory research which sets it apart from any other methodology is the relationship between the researcher and participants. Indeed, there is a growing body of literature that considers the shifting, reciprocal relationships between researchers and participants (Datta et al, 2014;Denzin & Lincoln, 2005;Gristy, 2014). By recognising stakeholders' autonomy and rights in contributing to the research agenda at the outset of this study, the researcher becomes a learner and co-constructor of knowledge in the project, rather than a lead researcher; while the role of participants are as collaborators and advocates of their cause, capable of articulating their own agenda for the research.…”

“…Adding to the debate, Gristy (2014) describes the 'messy realities of participatory research' (1) given the shifting power relations between the researcher and participants, and the conceptual, methodological challenges that this presents. Researchers have also warned of the ethical and Lynn Ang 4 analytical issues when intertwining the role of the researcher and stakeholders in the development of participatory research (Banks et al, 2013;Byrne, Canavan, & Millar, 2009;Campbell, 2002).…”

Doing It Write: Representation and Responsibility in Writing Up Participatory Research Involving Young People

“…Related to this, Thomson (2007, p. 207) highlights how participatory approaches can cause harm if children's perspectives are rendered meaningless, due to unacknowledged personal assumptions of the researcher which resultantly keep children "in their place". Gristy (2015) highlights the problems of representation and speaking for others within participatory research. In this view, representation in the communication of findings is a political act.…”