Research Institute for Social Sciences

I have chosen this research area because there has been a lot of interest lately in the transformational power of community participation.  Yet, despite the generous investment in the development of participatory programmes and projects very little in terms of empowerment has been realised.  It is my desire to highlight what works and what does not work in different contexts so that aid agencies are able to design bespoke participatory projects for different regions as opposed to the current 'one-size-fits-all' approach. 

I wish to publish my research findings as journal articles or a book.  I intend to work as a researcher in institutions of higher learning.

Thesis Title

“The Dynamics of Community Participation: Evidence from Practice”

This research focuses on Community Participation (CP) in two contexts: first, indigenous forms of collective action that are traditionally-managed; and second, agency-funded and professionally-managed participatory processes that form a part of development projects in developing countries.  Specifically, it compares how CP is constituted and practised in these two different forms.  In addition, the analysis also pays attention to the (cultural) terms under which both forms are practised. The thesis for this study is that while the concept of CP is a universal phenomenon, its realisation in practice is however context specific owing largely to the existence of a multiplicity of interpretations. As such, CP practices need to pay due attention to the cultural dynamics at play in different settings in order to promote culturally sensitive programmes for the attainment of desired outcomes.  The basic argument for this research is that understandings of CP should be grounded in local people’s experiences of engaging collectively in community programmes.  Furthermore, it is also argued that the effectiveness of CP depends on the extent to which a participatory form makes sense to (potential) participants.  The overarching goal for the proposed study is to develop a nuanced understanding of how CP works in practice for local communities, from their own standpoint.  Such a research focus is intended to avoid the common pitfalls of community development that are perpetuated and reinforced by research practices and measures which treat people as ‘objects to be studied rather than subjects of their development’ (Ward et al 2008: 472).

Paper presented at the Social Science postgraduate symposium (Keele University)