31 research outputs found
Deconstructing Community-Based Research for Sustainable Development:The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Holders
No full textContributions from every segment of the global community, including Indigenous peoples are essential to achieving the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals. Yet, research projects in Indigenous communities have largely been developed within a dominant Western research paradigm that values the researchers as knowledge holders and the community members as passive subjects. Whilst community-based research (CBR) is a contested space, we argued from a conceptual premise of reviewed literature that it needs to be reclaimed by and for Indigenous people to achieve the sustainable development of their communities. This is necessary to avoid epistemic hegemony or what Paulo Freire termed ‘cultural invasion’ and seek intentional and creative ways to engage target beneficiaries of sustainable development drives. The ultimate goal is to ensure that research does not continue to marginalise some Indigenous people, by assigning them a central role as co-creators, from the inception to the implementation of research activities and outcomes. The chapter concludes by attempting recommendations for CBR in Indigenous settings, with sustainable development as the resultant outcome
Decolonisation of Research Methodologies for Sustainable Development in Indigenous Settings
No full textWithin dominant Western research frameworks, researchers hold the power to disseminate information that can be used for or against the interests of the researched. Historically, this is evidenced by the repeated study of indigenous peoples, territories, and natural resources with little regard to the impact such research has on indigenous peoples’ present and future lives. As such, a growing body of research has emphasised the need for research paradigms that reflect indigenous views and beliefs. This includes employing inherently indigenous methodologies that capture indigenous knowledge and indigenous ways of knowing to topics in which indigenous perspectives have been historically absent. Sustainable development is one such area in which indigenous perspectives have been side-lined. Through the lens of postcolonial theory and epistemic injustice, we conducted a systematic review of the extant literature that investigated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in indigenous settings, presenting a case for the decolonisation of research methodologies in this context. The prevalent methodologies used in the extant literature are outlined and discussed in relation to establishing a precedence of conducting future research collaboratively with indigenous peoples
Towards an Integrated Approach to Climate Change Education in Tanzania:The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems
No full textThere have been many efforts globally toward fighting climate change; including international agreements, conferences, research, policies, forums, etc. In addition to these efforts, climate change education has recently emerged as an essential capacity-building tool to curb the climate crisis. However, development practitioners from the Global South have cited limitations with climate change education due to the dominance of Eurocentric epistemologies over indigenous knowledge (IK) approaches. This study therefore advocates for the integration of indigenous knowledge into climate change education in Tanzania for achieving a sustainable environment. Seventy documents, including peer-reviewed papers, reports from corporate institutions, policy briefs, proceedings and other grey literature were reviewed. We establish that IK systems are not integrated into CCE in Tanzania. However, we find opportunities for integration due to the evidence of the existing CCE efforts and potential complementary indigenous practices. By identifying, documenting, and validating indigenous knowledge and merging this knowledge with scientific insights, the fostering of an integrated approach to combat the enduring effects of climate change can be evidenced
Public Health Education in Africa:The Case of Epistemic (in) Justice and Indigenous Health Systems
No full textThis chapter interrogates epistemic injustice in public health education; with a focus on indigenous systems in Africa; and calls for the prompt address of the persistent injustices associated with knowledge development, validation, and application. The forms of epistemic injustices including interpretive marginalisation and credibility deficit are discussed and arguments raised on how common practices in public health and public health education (such as research partnerships, authorship practices, and choice of research structure) are infused with imbalances. This viewpoint aims to interpret, avert, and nullify biased knowledge observances in public health that are imposed on indigenous individuals in their capacity as apprehenders, producers, and users of knowledge. It further provides probable means of accepting, developing, and sustaining useful knowledge systems with an ultimate intention of fostering good health and wellbeing for all as captured in the Sustainable Development Goal [SDG]- 3
Considerations for relational research methods for use in Indigenous contexts: implications for sustainable development
Get PDFResearch has oftentimes been carried out in Indigenous communities for the sole benefit of the western researcher. As a result, feelings of distrust toward researchers and research institutions have become prevalent among Indigenous peoples. However, this distrust can be resolved through the use of research approaches and methods that reflect Indigenous perspectives, beliefs, and values and that centre the entire research process on the Indigenous community in question and their need for sustainable development. One such Indigenous research approach is rooted in relationality, whereby all living things and the natural world have a shared history and future. In this article, we explore the use of relational methods in research with Indigenous communities to decolonise the research process and capture Indigenous experiences using an inherently Indigenous approach. A systematic review of the extant literature to identify the key characteristics of relational methods used when conducting research with Indigenous peoples was conducted for the period 2012 to 2021. Five key characteristics of relational methods stood out, namely: collaboration, trusting and reciprocal relationships, flexibility, relational data, and reflexivity. These findings are discussed in the context of postcolonial theory and considerations for researching sustainable development in Indigenous communities
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Policies and practices of climate change education in South Asia: towards a support framework for an impactful climate change adaptation
No full textSouth Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions to the impacts of climate change. While it has contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, the people in the region face imminent threats to their health and well-being due to extreme weather events and a range of other climate-induced challenges, such as biodiversity loss and monsoon floods. Climate change education (CCE), if properly implemented, can prove to be vital in addressing such challenges and in helping people make informed decisions on adaptation strategies. To this end, this paper explores how CCE is addressed in the climate policies of South Asian countries. The paper also explores the implementation and operationalization of these policies within the respective countries. A content analysis of the climate policies of member states was conducted for the period 2007–2021. The findings revealed that climate change education has been highlighted within individual policies pertaining to formal and informal education, research and development, and public awareness initiatives. However, a gap analysis between policies and practices reveals that significant work is still needed for the effective implementation of policies supporting CCE at local levels. The current study seeks to contextualize these gaps by situating them within the relevant theoretical backdrops. In doing so, the research aims to make a meaningful contribution to the understanding of how CCE can be effectively deployed and delivered towards an impactful climate change adaptation, building on a support framework. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text
Am I doing the right thing? Plunket nurses' experience in making decisions to report suspected child abuse and neglect
Get PDFSuspected child abuse and neglect is not a new phenomenon in community nursing. Child abuse and/or neglect is prevalent globally and is a major community concern. Plunket Nurses have a primary responsibility to protect the health and well being of the women and children with whom they come into contact. Detecting suspected child abuse and/or neglect and making decisions to report to Child, Youth and Family, New Zealand’s Statutory Agency, is difficult. There are professional, legal, ethical and moral complexities in this work. Boyne (2003) states that there has not been enough research about what it is like to work with and manage risks in child protection work. This study set out to report these experiences in view of understanding them and finding possible gaps in literature, policy, and education.
Hermeneutic phenomenology was the methodology thought most appropriate to study the experiences of Plunket Nurses making decisions to report suspected child abuse and/or neglect in uncertain situations. A purposeful sample was selected to ensure participants were able to provide rich data that was captured in semi-structured, face to face and telephone recorded interviews. Data analysis was guided by the framework developed by van Manen (1990) to formulate meaning from participant experiences. Four major themes developed.
Ethical considerations were extensively explored due to the sensitive nature of the study. Management of possible ethical situation have been described, with a planned approach to an ongoing consent process throughout the data collection. The results have identified gaps in the literature, Plunket policy and the educational needs of Plunket Nurses. Opportunities for future research are suggested
A systematic review of the deployment of indigenous knowledge systems towards climate change adaptation in developing world contexts: implications for climate change education
Get PDFCountries in the developing world are increasingly vulnerable to climate change effects and have a lesser capacity to adapt. Consideration can be given to their indigenous knowledge systems for an integrated approach to education, one which is more holistic and applicable to their context. This paper presents a systematic review of the indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) deployed for climate change adaptation in the developing world and advances implications for climate change education. A set of inclusion criteria was used to screen publications derived from two databases and grey literature searches, and a total of 39 articles constituted the final selection. Postcolonial theory’s lens was applied to the review of the selected publications to highlight indigenous people’s agency, despite IKSs’ marginalization through colonial encounters and the ensuing epistemic violence. The categories of social adaptation, structural adaptation, and institutional adaptation emerged from the IKS-based climate change adaptation strategies described in the articles, with social adaptation being the most recurrent. We discussed how these strategies can be employed to decolonise climate change education through critical, place-based, participatory, and holistic methodologies. The potential outcome of this is a more relatable and effective climate change education in a developing world context
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Envisioning the Indigenised university for sustainable development
Get PDFPurpose: Whilst the possibility of a university fostering sustainable development is present in the extant literature and policy documents, the idea still warrants further consideration. This paper, therefore, aims to identify the nature and outcomes of the university’s engagement with Indigenous communities and perceptions of Indigenous knowledge systems in both academic and non-academic activities, and what might be required to foster the university’s contributions toward sustainable development.
Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study of the only public university in The Gambia was conducted, including non-university actors. Interviews and focus group discussion methods were employed, and these enabled close collaboration between researchers and participants, and the latter were empowered to describe their perceptions of reality.
Findings: Three major sets of findings emerged from the analysis of the transcripts from interviews and focus group discussions with the university and community members. These are the limited nature of and outcomes from university-community engagement, the sustainable outcomes of Indigenous practices, and ideas for Indigenising university engagement for sustainable development.
Originality: Matters of the university reaching out to Indigenous peoples have yet to find their way into conceptualisations of the university for sustainable development. This paper addresses this gap in the existing literature by advancing possibilities for the Indigenised university for sustainable development to emerg
'We are heartbroken and furious!' Engaging with violence in the (anti-) globalisation movement(s)
Get PDFThis piece is intended as an exploratory comment on the militancy emerging in (anti-)globalisation political practice and in the policing of such practice, rather than as a definitive analysis. As someone who attempts to pursue a tradition of the ‘organic intellectual’ – engaging in the practice of activism as well as the theorising of activist practice – the paper has emerged from my own process of sense-making regarding violence in the ‘(anti-)globalisation movement(s)’. It flows from experience of irruptive situations, my perceptions of the contextual causes of violence in these situations, and my thinking around the subversive and transformative potential, or otherwise, of violence in engendering radical post-capitalist social relations. I take as a starting point the recent protests against the EU summit meeting in Thessaloniki, June 2003, which culminated in substantial violence against property and towards police by antiauthoritarian protesters, and was met by the police with violent attack and the brutalisation of those arrested. I do not assume a moral standpoint regarding the value or otherwise of violence to ‘the movements’. Instead I try to consider why violence is increasing as a bio-political tactic in these contexts, ‘upfronting’ both the normalisation of psychological and physical violence in the everyday circumstances of late-capitalism, and the depression and anger this engenders. In the interests of strategic debate regarding the usefulness of violence in potentiating post-capitalist social relations, however, I attempt to disentangle the relative (f)utility of acting out, acting upon and denying the experience of anger. My personal stance is to celebrate the transformative potential and energy of the correct attribution of the contextual sources of anger – particularly in shifting between the microcosm of individual circumstances and the macrocosm of structural societal violence within which these arise – whilst upholding a view that violence as a simple reaction to alienating circumstances is likely to maintain rather than shift their brutalising tendencies. My conclusion is both gloomy and hopeful. On the one hand, given that violence to life is both so systemic to late capitalist modernity and that ‘we’ tend to be in such denial regarding its dehumanising psychosocietal effects, I am clear that it is likely that the incidence of violence in protest politics as elsewhere will increase in reaction to this. On the other hand, I celebrate the creative energy present in global anti-capitalist actions and practice, the emergence of a global peace movement as a political force, and the current radicalisation of people otherwise deemed by some to be politically apathetic
