juliet willetts - research paradigms for poverty alleviation
TRANSCRIPT
A Prof Juliet Willetts, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTSSydney 21-22 November 2013
Research paradigms for poverty alleviation and sustainable development:
a balancing act of different knowledges, ethics, rigour and relevance
My main point – to ask ourselves…
What kind of research do we need to create change?
The balancing act
ethics different knowledges, ways of knowing
rigour
relevance
Ways of knowing
What exists?
What are we capable of doing?
What is it we want to do?
What should we do?
M A Max Neef (2005) Foundations of Transdisciplinarity. Ecological Economics 53: 5-16
Characteristics of transdisciplinary research
1. Civil society, business and government roles in water and sanitation services
Technical ‘fix’
Social ‘fix’
1. Civil society, business and government roles in water and sanitation services
government
community
business
2. Climate change, disasters and health
Few stakeholders
Lots of stakeholders
One discipline
Lots of disciplines
Single problem dimension
Complex interlinked issues
Clear rules
and
standards
No rules
Awareness of power
structures and how
knowledge is used
Responsible
just for new
knowledge
Looking to the future, what kind of research do we need to create change?
Humility as researchers Respect for different types of knowledge and disciplinesCourage to dare to think differently and make new suggestionsIntegrity and ethicsFlexibility to adapt approach
Sanitation services that meet economic, environmental, institutional and social aims
Strengths-based approaches to community development
Gender equality in water and sanitation
Governance and service delivery for the poor