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Mee$ng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research Methodologies, Why, How and With Whom Sustainability Science for Mee$ng Africa’s Challenges Stellenbosch Ins$tute for Advanced Studies Bagele Chilisa University of Botswana Email [email protected] ; Bagelechilisa @yahoo.com

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Page 1: Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research ... · Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research Methodologies, Why, How and With Whom Sustainability Science for Meeng Africa’s

Mee$ngAfrica’sChallenges:IndigenousResearchMethodologies,Why,HowandWithWhom

SustainabilityScienceforMee$ngAfrica’sChallenges

StellenboschIns$tuteforAdvancedStudiesBageleChilisaUniversityofBotswana

[email protected];[email protected]

Page 2: Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research ... · Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research Methodologies, Why, How and With Whom Sustainability Science for Meeng Africa’s

•  WhyIndigenousResearchMethodologies•  IndigenousResearchParadigm•  PlanningindigenousResearch•  ChallengesinIRM•  Conclusion

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WHYIRM

Howisitpossibletodecolonize(social)researchin/ontheWesterndevelopingcountriestoensurethatpeople’shumancondi$onisnotconstructedthroughWesternhegemonyandideology?Pa$enceElabor–Idemudia(2002:231)

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WHYIRM

Whenanygroupwithinalarge,complexciviliza$onsignificantlydominatesothergroupsforhundredsofyears,thewaysofthedominantgroup,(itsepistemologies,ontologiesandaxiologies),notonlybecomethedominantwaysofthatciviliza$on,butalsothosewaysbecomesodeeplyembeddedthattheytypicallyareseenas‘natural’orappropriatenormsratherthanashistoricallyevolvedsocialconstruc$ons.(JamesJ.ScheurichandMichelleD.Young1997:7)

Page 5: Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research ... · Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research Methodologies, Why, How and With Whom Sustainability Science for Meeng Africa’s

TheCap$veMind•  Murkherji(2004)challengesallresearcherstodebatewhethertheSocialSciencemethodologiesthatoriginatedintheWestandareindigenoustotheWestarenecessarilyuniversalfortherestoftheworld.Whatisyourreac$ontothechallenge?

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TheCap$veMind•  TheMalaysiansociologistSyedHusseinAlatas(2004)developedtheconcept“thecap$vemind”torefertoanuncri$calimita$onofWesternresearchparadigmswithinscien$ficintellectualac$vity.Others(Fanon,1967;Ngugi1986)discussaprocesstheycallcoloniza$onofthemind.

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AfricanRenaissance•  TheAfricanRenaissancecallsforAfricanstobasetheirknowledgeproduc$onandprocessesonthecustoms,tradi$onsandlanguagesoftheindigenouspeople,suchastales,mythsandproverbs.

•  NgugiwaThiongo(1981)andMazrui(1992)havearguedthatsincecolonial$mesAfricanUniversi$eshaveohenallowedaunidirec$onalborrowingandlendingofWesternculture,literature,paradigms,valuesandidealsthatarenotnecessarilyrelevanttoAfricanSocie$es.

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ResearchandPoli$cswhatweknowandhowweknowisgroundedinshihinganddiversehistoricalhumanprac$ces,poli$cs,andpower.Thereareintheproduc$onofknowledgemul$plecentresofpowerinconstantstruggle;conflict,compromiseandnego$a$onandwhichevergroupisstrongestestablishitsownrulesonwhatcanbeknownandhowitcanbeknown.Anon-powerrelatedtruthgameisnotpossible,thushumanityinstallseachofitsviolencesinasystemofrulesandthusproceedsfromdomina$ontodomina$on(Foucault151.)

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IndigenousResearch

IndigenousResearchApproachesinviteustoproblema$zeresearchanddoingresearch‘asasignificantsiteofthestrugglebetweentheinterestandknowingoftheWestandtheinterestandknowingofthe“Other”(Smith,1999:2).

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Cap$vetoFourResearchParadigms

•  Positvist/Postpos$vistParadigm

•  Interpre$ve/Construc$vist•  Transforma$ve•  Pragma$c

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IRMInterrogatetheFollowingQues$ons•  Howcanweconductresearchthatimpact

posi$velyonthequalityoflifeofourcommuni$es

•  HowcanweconductresearchwithoutusingOnlyWesternacademicconstructsandterminologies?

•  Howcanweminimizetheintrusionoftermsinourresearchreportsthatmayculturallyandcontextuallylackcon$ngencywithourexperiences?Canacademiclanguagesaccuratelycommunicateourexperiences?

•  Whatisthecontribu$onofourlanguagestothebuildingofindigenousconceptualandtheore$calframeworksandthedesignofinterven$onstoimprovethequalityoflifeofourpeople?

•  Whoisreadingourresearchandinwhatandwhoselanguage?

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IndigenousResearchParadigmAFihhParadigm

•  Rela$onalOntology

•  Rela$onalEpistemology•  Rela$onalAxiology

•  Rela$onalMethodology•  Cosmology:ConnectednessandinterdependenceofallthingsintheUniverse

•  TeleologicalAssump$on:Thingsdon’tjusthappen.Thereisanintendedgoalforresearchandintellectualprojectswecarryout

•  AfricanThought:AfricanRenewalAfricanRenaissance

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Rela$onalOntology:BeingswithManyConnec$ons

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OntologicalAssump$onsSociallyConstructedReali$esshapedbythesetofmul$pleconnec$onsthathumanbeingshavewiththeenvironment,thecosmos,thelivingandthenon-living

ThereisanemphasisonanI/Werela$onshipasopposedtotheWesternI/Yourela$onshipwithitsemphasisontheindividual.AmongtheBantupeopleofSouthernAfrica,thisprincipleiscapturedunderthephilosophyofubuntu.Communality,collec$vity,socialjus$ce,humanunityandpluralismareimplicitinthisprinciple.Realityimpliesasetofrela$onships

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EpistemologicalAssump$ons•  Knowledgeisrela$onal•  Knowoneselfbeforeyouknowothers•  Itisalltheindigenousknowledgebuiltonrela$ons

•  Knowledgeissharedwithallofcrea$on.Itisnotjustinterpersonalrela$onships,orjustwiththeresearchpar$cipants,butitisarela$onshipwithallofcrea$on.Itiswiththecosmos;itiswiththeanimals,withplants,withtheearththatwesharethisknowledge.Itgoesbeyondtheindividual’sknowledgetotheconceptofrela$onalknowledge….youareanswerabletoallyourrela$onswhenyouaredoingresearch.

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Axiology•  Requiresresearcherreflexivityinformedbyan“I”“we”rela$onship.

•  Ethicalprotocolsthatdrawfromculturalprac$cesinformedbyconnectednessandawebofrela$onshipsthatincludeconnec$onswiththelivingandthenon-living

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IndigenousResearchMethodologies

FamilyofResearchMethodologiesthatdrawfromIndigenousKnowledge,histories,languages,metaphors,worldviews,philosophiesandexperiencesofformercolonizedhistoricallymarginalizedcommuni$estocri$quemainstreammethodologies,challengedeficitthinking,decolonizeandindigenizemainstreammethodologiesand/orenvisionotherwaysofdoingresearch.

Informedbycri$caltheory,postcolonialdiscourses,feministtheories,cri$calrace-specifictheoriesandneo-Marxisttheories

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AfricanWorldviewandMethodology:Caroll2012

•  HowdoesthisResearchreflecttheinterdependenceandinterconnectednatureoftheAfricanReality?

•  Howdoestheresearchaccommodatethespiritualandmaterialnatureofreality?

•  HowdoestheresearchreflectthecommunalnatureoftheAfricanpeople?

•  Howdoestheresearchaccessthenon-material;realityofthepeople?

•  HowdoestheresearchadvancetheinterestsoftheAfricancommunity?

•  HowdoestheresearchcontributetotheAfricanrenaissance?

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ResearchApproaches:Decoloniza$onandIndigeniza$on

•  Cri$queliterature,researchapproachusingpostcolonialtheory,cri$caltheory,cri$calracetheory,IKS

•  Invokeindigenousknowledgeembodiedinlanguages,proverbs,folktales,storiesculturalexperiencestobringnewtopics,themes,methods,processesandcategoriesofanalysisnoteasilyobtainablefromconven$onalmethods

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Decoloniza$onandIndigeniza$on:IRMalongaCon$nuumScale

LeastIndigenized-Integra$ve-PredominantlyIndigenous

Todecolonizetheresearchmethodologiesistoarguethatpeoplemustentertheworldofscien$ficandscholarlyanalysisfromthepathoftheirhistoricallyandculturallydevelopedperspec$ves.Theseperspec$vesarenotcountertouniversaltruth,butimplyacestheuniversalthroughthewindowofone’spar$cularview(NaimAkbar1991:248)

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AdvancedformofIndigeniza$onofArt

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IRMandTDR•  Whyarewedoingtheresearch

•  Whowillbenefit?•  Whoseresearchisit?•  Whowillformulatetheresearchques$ons,decideonthemethodology,thewaythedataisanalyzedandthereportwriqen?

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IRMMethodologies•  Par$cipatory,transforma$ve

transcidisciplinaryresearchapproachesthatDrawfromIndigenousknowledgesystems,philosophiesandIdeologies

•  Researchersandpar$cipantsarepartners

•  Mixedmethodsapproach•  TechniquesincludeMethods

basedonethnophilosophyStorytellingmethodsCulturalartefacts;Talkingcircles,theatre/drama,dance,song,language

Ourstoriesareourtheoriesandmethod(MelaineCarter2003:40)Language,myth,truth,ancestralmemory-dance,music-artandscienceprovidethesourcesofknowledge,thecanonsoftruthandthes$mulusstructuresoftruth(MolefeKenteAsante1990:19)

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UsingProverbsandLanguagetoInformConceptualFramework

Easton(2012)Iden$fyingtheEvalua$veImpulsiveinlocalculture:InsightsfromWest-AfricanProverbs

Tsuruta(2006):EconomicconceptsderivedfromSwahiliwords

Muwanga–ZakeJ.W.F(2009):Ubuntuandpar$cipa$veresearchparadigminBantucommuni$es

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UbuntuEthics•  Apprecia$onoftheindividual:IndividualConsent

•  Researchpartofacomplexwhole:CommunityConsent

•  Researchtomaintainharmonyandbalanceofanygroup:groupconsent,familyconsent

•  Respectforheritage:Collec$veConsent

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RigorInResearchanIRMPerspec$veStartswithacallforrecogni$onofconceptualtheore$calframeworks,methods,ethicsprotocolsthatarederivedfromtheresearchedframesofreference.

Emphasison•  Fairness•  Voice•  Selfreflexivity•  Standpointjudgments•  Communityandpar$cipantsasco-designers;co-producersofknowledge

Page 27: Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research ... · Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research Methodologies, Why, How and With Whom Sustainability Science for Meeng Africa’s

PlanningResearchUsingIRM

•  Whycarryoutresearch?•  Willtheresearchbringaboutchangeandtransforma$on?

•  Willtheresearchhaveaclearstanceagainstthepoli$cal,academicandmethodologicalimperialismofits$me?

•  WilltheresearchtakeastanceagainstWesternarchival-knowledgeanditscolonizingand“othering”ideologies?

Page 28: Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research ... · Meeng Africa’s Challenges: Indigenous Research Methodologies, Why, How and With Whom Sustainability Science for Meeng Africa’s

Figure 1: An Indigenous Mixed Methods Approach

Elicitation Phase Pilot Survey Designing the Intervention Testing the Efficacy of the Intervention

TheoreticalLens:

Decolonizingthemind,research,

methodologiesandbuildingrelationships

Indigenousmethods;

Storying,proverbs

Language

OtherQualitativemethods

Interviews

StructuredquestionsaroundTheoryofPlanned

Theoryandculturebasedquestionnaire

PilotSurvey

Determinantsofriskybehaviors

InterventionCurriculum

Content

Activities

Time

QualitativesummativeEvaluationResults:

Individualizedevaluation

reportsthroughpromiseletters

EvaluationMethodsdialogues;

talkingcircles;yarning;

Participatoryrelationshipmethods

EvaluationMethodsPre-testPost-testRandomizedControlTrial

EXPERIMENT

Testingefficacy

EvaluationOutcome

Repeatedmeasuresevaluationresults

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ChallengesinDoingIndigenousResearch•  Marginaliza$onandrejec$onof

non-conven$onalmethodsbytheacademy

•  S$gma$za$onandmarginaliza$onofIRMbytheAfricanUniversity

•  Isola$onandlimitedaccesstoliteratureonIRM

•  EthicsReviewboardthatarenotcongruentwithindigenousResearchMethodologies

•  UndevelopedpartnershipsbetweenUniversi$esandCommuni$es

•  Advancingandgainingacceptanceofa5thParadigm:IndigenousResearchParadigm

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WorkingTogether•  Advancingscholarshiponacceptanceofa5thParadigm:IndigenousResearchParadigm:Examples

ShawnWilson2008:ResearchisCeremony

Chilisa2012:IndigenousResearchMethodologies

Caroll2010:AfricanworldView

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Literature:IndigenousResearch

Methodologies

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ConclusionWestandatthethresholdofahistorymarkedbymul$vocality,contestedmeanings,paradigma$ccontroversies,andnewtextualforms.Atsomedistancedownthisconjecturalpath,whenitshistoryiswriqen,wewillfindthatthishasbeentheeraofemancipa$onfrom…coercivenessofTruth,emancipa$onfromhearingonlythevoicesofWesternEurope,emancipa$onfromgenera$onsofsilence,andemancipa$onfromseeingtheworldinonecolor.(EgonGubaandYvonnaLincoln2005:212)

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Conclusion

Therangeofcontemporarycri$caltheoriessuggeststhatitisfromthosewhohavesufferedthesentenceofhistory-subjuga$on,dominance,diaspora,displacementthatwelearnourmostenduringlessonsforlivingandthinking.(HomiBhaba1994:172)

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To Africa

Wecannotinallseriousnessstudyourselvesthroughtheeyesofotherpeople’sassump$ons.Iamnotsayingwemustnotknowwhatothersknoworthinkofus.Iamsayingwemustthinkforourselveslikeothersdoforthemselves

(KwesiPrah1999)

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