research, community organizing and political change anne shlay visiting professor, school of public...
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Research, Community Organizing and Political Change
Anne Shlay Visiting Professor, School of Public Policy and Department of Geography, Hebrew University
Professor, Department of Sociology Temple University
http://astro.temple.edu/~ashlay
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Outline Research, objectivity and interests Research, advocacy and bias Applied research University-Community Collaborations Collaborative community research and
advocacy Community reinvestment movement and
collaborative research EPOP and genesis of Research for Democracy Blight Free Philadelphia Any examples from Jerusalem?
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Research, objectivity and interests Research training process in core
social sciences Disinterested and objective Scientific indifference to research
outcomes Arms length methods and
replicability Legitimacy of findings linked to
objectivity of method
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Interests Research topics: come from literature. Emerge from field. Topic rooted in literature. Focus on objectivity of research, not on
whether there are vital interests in research New idea: Habermas: Knowledge and Human
Interests. Questions reveal interests Questions per se represent political value
system
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What is research for? For the benefit of science. Expand literature Promote field Research can provide external
benefits But societal benefits secondary. Importance of retaining objectivity of
research and to remove any form of bias
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Bias Appearance of slanting research
methods and findings one way or the other
Connecting research to advocacy organizations or groups with “interests” leads to charges of bias
Discredits the research Discredits the organizing and
organizer
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What’s the problem?
Need mechanism to conduct “useful” research without risking charge of bias
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Premise
Information is power Information provides legitimation
and credibility Information gives status to
organizers Information informs and supports
policy options
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Premise continued
Organizations need information for: Developing policy alternatives Supporting advocacy positions Developing and strengthening
organizational capacity and leadership
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Applied Research Applied research: research with a client Typically research where client hires
researcher to answer particular questions Client could be government, private
corporations, non-governmental organizations, or foundations
Can go to universities or private research organizations or to consultants.
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Applied research process
Typically same as basic research process
Arms length methods Elimination of bias Distance between client and
researcher Lack of “interestedness” of
researcher in research findings.
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Applied research: very useful Aids development of policy Supports government initiatives Gives valuable information to different
organizations Way of providing legitimate unbiased
information to organizations who then use the information.
Less concerned with development of fields per se
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Applied research Not geared towards advocacy Not gears towards community
empowerment Can lead to advocacy around political
issues and can empower different groups.
But these outcomes are not intended. Would be useful but unintended outcome of the research process
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University-Community Collaborations Innovation in 1990s in U.S. Idea that universities should be
more involved in issues with local communities.
Universities repositories of skills, information and energy.
Should be applied too solving community based problems
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University-Community Collaborations continued U.S. government funded collaborative
initiatives. But typically more “service” oriented, not
research oriented. Providing counseling, tree planting, small business training, etc.
Not necessarily collaborative. University received funding. Money not
necessarily shared with community Ultimately, university “doing” for community.
Continuation of patronizing relationship of university with external groups.
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Collaborative Community Research and Advocacy Relative new model for research Research not done for community
organization but with community organizations
Research questions and research design formulated in concert with community organizations
Research does not ask questions. Questions emerge from the organizing context.
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Caveats Research not necessary done by community
organizations. Issues of bias and objectivity remain very present Even more important to provide highly
credentialed and methodologically rigorous research.
Major different: research done in ongoing collaboration with community organization.
Community organization shapes the research questions. Research works with, not for, community organization.
Lots of tensions and issues: explore later
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Initial foray: Community Reinvestment Movement Movement in U.S. to get banks and other
lenders to make housing loans in low income, minority and central city communities.
Research effort: used data to demonstrate that lenders failing to do business with local communities.
Research documented business activity bordering on illegal and unethical.
Research evidence combined with community organizing used to have lender commit to putting more money in local communities
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Caveats and Pitfalls Research must meet the standards of
science If politically powerful, research
scrutinized. To be credible, research and researcher
must be credible. Defensibility of research paramount Use very high standards for successful
collaborative research
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EPOP and Genesis of Research for Democracy Newly formed community based
organization: Eastern Pennsylvania Organizing Coalition
Coalition modeled around “faith-based” organizing.
Faith based organizing uses already existing institutional structures to mobilize constituencies around political issues..
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Different models of faith-based organizing In U.S., different national networks
of faith based organizations with different strategies and organizations.
EPOP: focuses on relationships between people and organizations and leadership development.
EPOP: organization geared towards building leadership.
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EPOP and research EPOP organizing: veterans of the
community reinvestment era. Knew about the power of research tied
to organizing. Heard about me and approached me. Helped EPOP on a variety of projects. Did not “do” the projects. Gave advice,
reviews research instruments, and critiqued methods.
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EPOP and Academics As part of my volunteer work with EPOP,
allowed my credentials to be used by EPOP.
EPOP used my name on reports and documents.
EPOP had me come to press conferences and meet with leaders.
Consequence: I built relationships with EPOP leaders and staff and they built relationships with me.
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Trust and communication
Research requires research skills. Collaborative community research
requires building of trust and ongoing communication.
Lots of areas for tension and problems.
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Key area of tension for researcher Undermining credibility of research
and researcher. E.g., community organizations makes
statements that are “not true,” that is, not consistent with research.
Tension: researchers used to making tentative conclusions. Organizers used to making bold pronouncements.
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Key area of tension for community organization
Accessibility of research Ownership of research Timing of research
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Research for Democracy Based on multiple successes in collaboration,
decided to embark on new organization structure: “Research for Democracy.”
Received support from local foundation Hired staff with research skills and connections
to community organizations. All research methodological issues reviewed by
me. Research for Democracy Director: worked both
for the EPOP and the university. Money received from foundation went to EPOP
and the university.
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Blight Free Philadelphia: The Problem Philadelphia: old (by U.S.
standards) northeastern city. Home of major industry and
manufacturing. Deindustrialization moved industry
out of Philadelphia. Population loss Suburbanization
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Philadelphia Housing Stock
Very old housing stock 42% built before 1940 Only 1.5% built between 1990 and
2000. Estimates of abandonment
converged around 30,000 units.
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Population decline, Philadelphia City 1990-2005
2005 2000 1990
Population 1,463,281 1,517,550 1,585,577
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 Population Estimates, Census 2000, 1990 Census
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Prognosis, Diagnosis and Treatment
With continuing population decline, problem will only get worse.
New Mayor: makes blight policy issue
Proposes blight plan based on demolishing abandoned housing units and assembling large parcels for development.
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EPOP Leaders
Conceived blight as more wide spread.
Incipient abandonment in their neighborhoods
Saw blight as plague on their neighborhoods. Wanted to solve problems of incipient blight, not just concentrated blight.
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TWO COMPETING DEFINITIONS OF THE BLIGHT PROBLEM
Market Driven Blight Institution/Policy Driven Blight
Definition Visible outcome Invisible process resulting in visible outcome
Indicators Concentrated dilapidated and abandoned property
Scattered property deterioration and abandonment
Causal Mechanisms Normal market forces emerging from the aggregation of decisions made by individual households and firms
Decisions by key housing market and policy institutions
Policy Remedy Demolition Reinvestment (loans and grants)
Policy Focus Vacant land assembly Neighborhood preservation
Spatial Focus Neighborhoods with opportunities for large scale land acquisition
Neighborhoods at risk of becoming blighted
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Issue: Reconstruct the blight problem
Research: tool for shaping new political and policy perspective on the definition of the blight problem.
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The Research: Distribution of Abandonment Developed analysis of the location of
abandoned housing. Used maps and graphs Showed distribution of blight in council
districts. Found that two conditions of blight:
Concentrated blight Dispersed blight Blight widespread
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Research: Causes of Blight Used multivariate techniques to look at the
impact of various characteristics on the distribution of blight among neighborhoods.
Question: why is the number of abandoned housing high in some neighborhoods than others.
Findings emphasized the absence of local policy efforts in combating blight. City policy complicit in expanding blight. Need a policy solution to blight expansion
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Research: Impact of Blight Used multivariate techniques to assess
the impact on the number of abandoned home on property values (the selling price of homes)
Found that small number of abandoned homes (incipient blight) had large negative effects on housing values.
Problem not just concentrated blight but wide spread incipient blight.
Blight problem: city wide, not neighborhood specific problem
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Organizing EPOP held hearings with local council
people. Lobbied extensively with President of City
Council responsible for initiating blight legislation.
Succeeded in holding up the legislation Ultimately, legislation based containing
more money for neighborhood improvements and stabilization, not just demolition
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Small but important victory
Illustrates the combined role of research and organizing in shaping policy
Research and universities tools for community empowerment under the right conditions and with the right people.
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Any Jerusalem examples
Where could research help organizing
What are major development issues that community are organizing around?
Is research something that could be used in advocacy planning in Israel?