Empowering vulnerable groups through participative research: the RE-InVES T proj ect Ides Nicaise KU Leuven
The context Macro-economic consolidation => austerity => increasing social exclusion in EU S ocial Investment Package as a response: ‘ investing in people’ reconciles economic and social obj ectives
Main Re-InVES T obj ectives diagnosis of the social damage of the crisis in terms of (the erosion of) human rights, social (dis)investment , loss of (collective) capabilities, loss of trust developing a theoretical model of social investment, with a focus on the effective promotion of human rights and capabilities application of the social investment model to key social policies and services: active labour market policies and social protection: Early childhood education, health care, housing, water, financial services Empowering vulnerable groups of citizens through capacity building in participatory research
Research team KU Leuven (Ides Nicaise) IRD Marseille (Jean-Luc Dubois) CNRS-IDHES Paris (Robert Salais) OSE Brussels (Rita Baeten) SOFI Göttingen (René Lehwess) Univ. Geneva (J.-Michel Bonvin) IFZ Salzburg (Günter Graf) Alliances to Fight Rīga Stradiņš Univ. (Tana Lace) Re-InVEST CrIDIS UCLouvain (Jean De Munck) Beweging vzw (M. Debruyne) consortium Poverty NUIM Manooth (Mary Murphy) EAPN Portugal (Sandra Araújo) Loughborough Univ. (Jeremy Leaman) The Open Network (C. Chert) Erasmus Univ. Rotterdam (M. Messkoub) The Poverty Alliance (P. Kelly) TU Delft (Marja Elsinga) CNCA (Cinzia Brentari) Hope Univ. Liverpool (Michael Lavalette)
Scotland: Method: ‘ merging of knowledge’ Lone parents Netherlands: housing mixed research teams at local level Ireland: Germany: Housing work Latvia: Disability Academic & work Experiential England: Belgium: knowledge Mental health knowledge of Immigration vulnerable people Portugal: Work Switzerland: Professional NEET knowledge of civil Austria: France: work Immigration Romania: society organisations migration Italy: vulnerabilities
Merging of knowledge – the experience of ATD Fourth World S ince end of 1990s Obj ectives: Merging of 3 types of knowledge: scientific, experience, action Certified training for ‘ activists’ Training in participatory research for researchers Joint publication with thematic research papers
A process of several years t hemat ic groups (work, family, knowledge… ) alt ernat ion of plenary seminars, individual work, thematic workshops, ‘ peer meetings’ Ext ensive st art up phase: t rust-building activities negotiation of topics Wit hin t hemat ic workshops: Definition of research topic Inputs of 3 types of knowledge Joint analysis Joint reporting
Key conditions for a genuine MoK Positive discrimination in the allocation of time and resources, with priority being given to the weakest participants in the process. Effective investment in the research capacity of those groups. Phasing in / familiarisation Attitudes of researchers: humility, respect, patience.... Adaptation of analytical instruments and language. Interculturally (& gender, age, etc.) sensitive approaches, including mediation and training of all participants. Continuity and feedback at all stages of the research. Dialogical and reflexive approaches. Democratic decision-making.
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