Equitable Research through Creative Methods New
Research proposals, written consent forms, participant information sheets, letters of intent, briefs and proposals on university headed paper are all claims to power, neutrality and control in the research process. Though ethically imperative, this course is an opportunity to reflect upon these “fetishes of consent” (Wynn and Israel, 2018) and the unequal power relations they may produce between participant and researcher. Employing creative methods within the research process, from start to end, is an opportunity to communicate meaningfully with all stakeholders; from a struggling mother with low literacy levels in a Mumbai slum, to a time conscious policy official in Cape Town who refuses to glance past the first paragraph of your research proposal. The ability to communicate complex and often abstract ideas beyond an academic audience is pivotal to doing research with impact, and it is also a vital part of a decolonial agenda. While “the proof of the [decolonial] pudding” is arguably identified in how research is analysed and presented (Hitchings and Latham, 2020:392), it is crucial that methodologies are subject to critical reflexivity, and foster knowledge exchange between scholars, practitioners, and respondents.
In this course we will explore a variety of “creative methods” that have been developed for use in the field, and to generate empirical data. This course then goes further, to explore ways of incorporating creativity throughout the research process in areas such as stakeholder engagement, participant recruitment, consent processes, and gatekeeper conflict during data collection and research dissemination. As part of the course, you will make a simple means for creative outreach such as a video, presentation, drawing, or video recording (etc.) that communicates your research to intended stakeholder(s). We will think critically about intended audience demographics (i.e. elderly, working mothers, young people, peasant farmers, NGO workers or city officials) and reflect upon the creative materials we have produced as a group and discuss its methodological implications. The goal is not to use creative practice as simply another empirical data gathering tool, but to address the hierarchies within academic processes and knowledge production. Creative practice is an opportunity to build new communication strategies that foster the reflexivity, flexibility, and wonder of the unknown within co-production, enabling us to move towards more equitable ways of building and cocreating knowledge.
- Postgraduate students and staff
- Further details regarding eligibility criteria are available here
Number of sessions: 3
| # | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu 29 Feb 10:00 - 11:00 | 10:00 - 11:00 | SSRMP pre-recorded lecture(s) on Moodle | P.D. Mohandas | |
| 2 | Thu 7 Mar 10:00 - 12:00 | 10:00 - 12:00 | Titan Teaching Room 3, New Museums Site | map | P.D. Mohandas |
| 3 | Thu 14 Mar 10:00 - 12:00 | 10:00 - 12:00 | Titan Teaching Room 3, New Museums Site | map | P.D. Mohandas |
- An understanding of the key approaches and literature concerning decolonial approaches to constructing method in the research process.
- An understanding of navigating complex and unequal power dynamics between stakeholders through creative practices
- Learning how to co-create methodology and manage expectations through the research process to produce knowledge that aligns with the concerns and realities of participants.
- A creative outcome which summarises your research and effectively communicates it concisely and succinctly.
- Peer support in understanding how to embed creative practice in the research process whilst still fulfilling academic and ethical objectives.
Click the "Booking" button panel on the left-hand sidebar (on a phone, this will be via a link called Booking/Availability near the top of the page).
Moodle is the 'Virtual Learning Environment' (VLE) that the SSRMP uses to deliver online courses.
SSRMP lecturers use Moodle to make teaching resources available before, during, and/or after classes, and to make announcements and answer questions.
For this reason, it is vital that all SSRMP students enrol onto and explore their course Moodle pages once booking their SSRMP modules via the UTBS, and that they do so before their module begins. Moodle pages for modules should go live around a week before the module commences, but some may be made visible to students, earlier.
For more information, and links to specific Moodle module pages, please visit our website
Booking / availability