Theresa, thank you. --Ocean.

On Thu, 25 May 2006 11:54:08 -0700, Theresa Healy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Hello all:
>
>This strikes at a topic dear to my heart and one I am struggling with in
>an attempt to find honour in my work. (Who was it said "Let what you
>love be what you do"?)   
>
>I think the statement: "Universities are creators and keepers of
>knowledge, some of it based on, or relevant to, the community" is an
>accurate depiction of the situation. As other researchers have written
>if "Europe was the colonizer, research was the flagship." (My paraphrase
>of excellent work done by others, like the Indigenous Peoples Research
>Institute.)
>
>Whether we like it or not, our universities, and the careers of those
>who work in them, are built on the appropriation and ownership of
>knowledge often taken from others. There may be politically driven and
>philosophically grounded individuals within university (I'd like to
>think of myself as one) who do not conform or subscribe to this but the
>reality is that the institution's reason d'etre is the manufacture of
>knowledge and the economy and currency of the academy is built on the
>ownership of  knowledge. There is a reason why plagiarism is a bigger
>sin than adultery in academic circles.
>
Too often the community is the original source of knowledge, which is
>transformed, translated and acquired through standards that often
>further harm the community while enhancing the cvs and publication lists
>of researchers, and the prestige and award granting status of the
>university. I know I do not have to review the list of egregious crimes
>researchers have visited on communities. For me, the sad fact is that
>too often there are smaller, almost everyday crimes against the dignity,
>the progress and rights of community folks because of the power held by
>universities and the unconsidered application of that power, by
>researchers.  This is what Hannah Arndt described as the everydayness of
>evil and is what she said made the evil of Nazi Germany possible. If you
>were hired to build a road to the concentration camp you didn't have to
>think about the trucks carrying Jews, homosexuals and communists to
>certain horrific death. And I think there are things we do as
>researchers that we don't think of in the bigger context of people's
>lives.  For example, I have seen researchers carrying out interviews and
>never returning a transcript or an acknowledgment of what was done with
>the interview to the interviewee, with no concern for how the person
>emerged from the research event. 
>
I also believe the community has knowledge that is relevant and timely
>but it is not perceived as knowledge - it is "anecdote" or "experience"
>or "a bunch of stories".  I sit at community tables and hear discussions
>that describe emerging trends, and analyze conditions. Often the
>discussions are far more cogent and to the point and insightful then
>some graduate student's classes I have sat in or taught and long before
>the issue shows up on university radar.  These issues require fast and
>effective response. But community voices are not heard and it is not
>till a university based researcher has "acquired and validated" the
>knowledge that action is taken. This is often too late, and the
>community and the issue have moved farther and further down the road.
>The deep listening and thoughtful actions that could be generated by a
>relationship of equity and meaningful partnership is lost. The
>opportunity to go deep is lost. The chance to address spiritual and
>cultural dimensions is lost.
>
I believe there was somebody - or a group of somebodies - who believed
>the community could be an effective and equal partner in research and
>that belief was behind the CURAs and the move to the CIHRs. I saw an
>attempt to leverage research monies into projects and programs that
>could benefit communities liaising with university researchers; that
>research money could have an added value component based in the capacity
>building and community development inherent in a meaningful research
>endeavour.  I don't know how much of that got lost in the translation.
>My perception is that small universities and community based research
>are still getting the short end of the stick: the money still flows to
>the big universities and the big names. And research partnerships still
>disadvantage the community partners. The kind of research that can
>actually make a real difference while it is implemented is overlooked in
>favour of reaching gold standards and getting published. My major
>challenge when I undertake a research project - convincing the community
>it will be okay to make changes to look at what we are learning, as we
>are learning and it take actions. Community based and participatory and
>utilization, - call you what you will, if it is practiced with respect
>and mutual learning, will make a difference.
>
There is frustration in communities and it is time we within university
>walls listened and learned. I heard a farm woman at a conference in
>Saskatchewan accuse the researchers present of "researching" the farm
>crisis literally to death. Farmers, friends were dying, she said,
>committing suicide, acquiring poor health and earlier deaths while the
>researchers argued. I have heard many Aboriginal people use the same
>phrase "researched to death."  And they too, mean it literally. I have
>Aboriginal friends dying of AIDS, while a colleague tells me I can't use
>the term epidemic to describe what is happening to Aboriginal people in
>Northern BC. Where did we lose touch with the fact one death would be
>too many? 
>
There is a challenge here - for all of us, to consider our own ethics
>and practice; to struggle to find the fine line of balance of excellence
>in academic standards with relevance, timeliness and respect for
>communities. (And balance implies equal weight.) I believe it can be
>done and it will get us not only better research but meaningful
>progress.  I want to see true relationships with meaningful dialogue and
>it will take time to build these, and it will take time to build /
>repair trust with community folks. If there is true relationship, a
>circular model, where community skills and expertise have as much
>credence and power as the university degree and each feeds and supports
>the other, then we could be doing research that makes a difference for
>everyone. 
>
I am happy to say that every day I meet new people who care about both
>the polish of university standards and the shine of community needs. My
>heroes are those who can walk in both worlds with honour and compassion.
>The challenge is for all of us, community based or university based, to
>find the hybrid that carries the best of both worlds. 
>
In the spirit of more light - as we said in Mozambique when I lived
>there - A luta continua (the struggles continues.)
>
>Theresa

-------------------
Problems/Questions? Send it to Listserv owner: [log in to unmask]


To unsubscribe, send the following message in the text section -- NOT the subject header --  to [log in to unmask]
SIGNOFF SDOH

DO NOT SEND IT BY HITTING THE REPLY BUTTON. THIS SENDS THE MESSAGE TO THE ENTIRE LISTSERV AND STILL DOES NOT REMOVE YOU.

To subscribe to the SDOH list, send the following message to [log in to unmask] in the text section, NOT in the subject header.
SUBSCRIBE SDOH yourfirstname yourlastname

To post a message to all 1000+ subscribers, send it to [log in to unmask]
Include in the Subject, its content, and location and date, if relevant.

For a list of SDOH members, send a request to [log in to unmask]

To receive messages only once a day, send the following message to [log in to unmask]
SET SDOH DIGEST

To view the SDOH archives, go to: https://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/sdoh.html