1.5.2 Developing a research culture

An EAR researcher will work as a member of the initiative staff, to include local people, and groups, so that they participate in activities, helping to build enabling environments and relationships, and facilitating understanding of different needs and perspectives. This will allow initiatives a stable foundation for achieving success in their purpose and goals.

The researcher, as social-cultural animator will:

  • Encourage a concern amongst all initiative workers for the local social and cultural environment;
  • Encourage initiative workers to engage in interaction with local people and groups;
  • Encourage initiative workers to look to local people and groups as active participants and stakeholders; and,
  • Encourage initiative workers to include local people's ways of making sense of the world and themselves in their evaluations of the initiative.

An EAR researcher will ensure local people feed back to their research understandings and ideas and at the same time help frame new research, ensuring its relevance.

An EAR researcher must view initiative workers, local communities, groups and individuals as active agents.

Example: EAR researcher as socio-cultural animator

In this way, the Ethnographic Action Researcher will undertake research by:

  • Taking part in the day to day activities of the initiative as an initiative worker;
  • Facilitating various information gathering and sharing opportunities;
  • Training people to recognise and make the most of the knowledge they have and apply it; and,
  • Encouraging initiative workers and wider communities to participate in and influence the research process and the initiatives.

In short, the researcher will establish a research culture.

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