Final Report: Strengthening Community Research in ... - Ninti One

Perceptions of governanceExtensive opportunities exist for interaction between Wurla Nyinta members and other people in thecommunity through family connections, sharing of houses and cars or shared responsibilities withinmanagement of governance arrangements for other bodies within Ntaria.Almost half the residents make use of these opportunities to discuss Wurla Nyinta business with members ofthe group.Other avenues are used by local people to inform themselves about the work of Wurla Nyinta, includingattendance at meetings, reading notice boards and talking with others in the community and at their place ofwork.According to both Wurla Nyinta members and residents, the topics most frequently discussed with membersby residents are housing, health, education, night patrol and community safety.A small majority of Ntaria residents did not know about or were unsure about what Wurla Nyinta does.Around three-quarters of residents of Ntaria perceive no improvements in key aspects of the development ofthe community and its services in the last four years, while almost a quarter see changes for the better, whileone in twenty people consider that the situation in Ntaria has worsened.8.3 The contribution and value of community researchThe content of this report describes many of the benefits of community research. These include the potential for greateraccuracy and precision in data collection and analysis, the building of local skills and capacity and the enhancedcommunication between community members and external agencies that can result.Wadsworth describes PAR as a premise that underlies the application of all social science research:I have come to conclude that pretty much all of the research we are involved in is more or less an approximationin the direction of ‘it’. That is, every piece of research is more or less participatory. It more or less enables actionas part of the process. And it all involves more or less critical reflexive, sceptical and imaginative inquiry.Wadsworth (1998:2)In developing her theory of PAR, Wadsworth identifies the need for ideas to be tested, and experience to be reflectedupon in order to posit ‘new’ ideas or actions as a response to the preliminary question:Instead of a linear model, participatory action research thus proceeds through cycles, ‘starting’ with reflection onaction, and proceeding round to new action which is then further researched. The new actions differ from the oldactions – they are literally in different places.Wadsworth (1998:5)The nature of this approach to research is its engagement with, and changes in relation to, the social and place-basedcontext in which it is practiced. In the context of Strengthening Remote Community Research, the method invitesparticipation, and investment by the researcher team, the participating residents and the LRG, to whom researchfindings are presented.The investment by the community residents themselves is one reason that the PAR project resonates. The method ofworking engages intellectually, creatively and multi-modally with the researchers, the community participants and theLRG. We have observed that the creativity and reflective skills develop as the research team itself progresses, as theprocess proceeds and the communication of the group of researchers becomes more attuned to the inquiry and thedaily occurrences within the process of doing research.93