Ethical considerations

Making a decision to use a participatory approach for this research project made it important for me to take extra time to understand the ethical considerations. I used the reflexive process in the various action research cycles to ask myself whether I had still managed to maintain the rights and privacy of research participants and maintain a sensitivity to their cultural values.

Given the fact that research participants might at some point in their continuing careers need to work with some of the policymakers and stakeholders affected by this project. I spent time with the participants clarifying the potential areas of risk that they needed to carefully consider.

As the PED design process progressed, group members also contributed their thoughts on potential risk areas that the event could expose them to if certain event themes presented were taken up.

I also endeavoured to keep our discussions secure, by encrypting the virtual spaces so our conversations and reflections were confidential. I also learnt the importance of finding meeting venues that were considered safe by the group, where they would not fear being discovered or having their ideas stolen by more powerful stakeholders (refer Chapter 6, section 6.3.3).

The safe virtual and physical spaces enabled participants to discuss their experiences without

189 fear of reprisal. Research participants were also asked to come up with their own pseudonyms at the beginning of the project and these identities were then used in the extracts that are included in this thesis.

5.4.1. Trusting the Group to Take Action

I had multiple identities in this project as I was both a PhD student seeking to write a thesis and a research-facilitator. I had to ensure I was transparent about my roles right from the beginning, I also had to be transparent about how I planned to present the data. It was my aspiration that taking part in the project would inspire the research participants to continue to take action to change their situation but I was always aware from the beginning of the project that I could not force or control this, which was a big personal risk. I had to come to terms with the fact that it would be up to the research participants to decide how and when they wanted to move their issue forward – independent of my research project timelines.

5.4.2. Emotions and Well-Being

There was a risk that a focus on some of the critical issues affecting the research participants and their day-to-day existence would be emotionally draining and therefore it was important to build in moments along the research journey where research participants could stop and reflect about these feelings. These conversations also were valuable in informing the overall research project and helped to give a deeper understanding of the issues and their impact on the research participants and their experiences as creative practitioners.

As discussed in the background to research (Chapter 4), the political context of the Zimbabwean situation was often unstable, therefore I had to always be aware of potential activities or decisions that could put the risk in danger. It was also important for me to regularly review the perception of this project with the research participants. We considered how the project might be perceived by outsiders, especially as we are working in a country that was

190 going through political and economic upheaval. I was acutely conscious of this while working with the visual artists as this had already affected my preliminary action research cycle where a follow up meeting with the Chipawo group had to be postponed due to the elections and the need to work within the control structures of legislation such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Law and Order Maintenance Act (LOMA) which gave the police the power to prohibit or disperse public gatherings.

5.4.3 Flexibility and Porosity

As stated in the introduction, meanings are derived from interaction and dialogue with other people and therefore it was important to plan time to pause for critical reflection at the end of each phase. During this process we asked challenging questions so that participants could think about the topics discussed; specific words used and decisions taken to construct meaning. Creswell (2003) suggests that in order to analyse and interpret the data:-

a) We must be aware that analysis is an ongoing process – there has to be continual reflection about the data

b) We must get comfortable with using open-ended data

c) We must consider all aspects of the setting and individuals, followed by analysis of the data for emerging themes and issues

Conclusion

I believe a PAR approach was the most appropriate for this research project as it enabled me to take the role of research-facilitator and group participant and then work with my co-researchers to make the knowledge claims presented in the subsequent chapters. We were able to take advantage of the rich stories emerging from the multiple meanings of our individual experiences and use these to develop a deeper understanding of what is required to work together to design an event with a social mission. There is an opportunity to learn from this project and start to explore how we might apply this approach to other sectors.

191 Kemmis and Wilkinson (1988) highlight the following core characteristics of PAR which make it so suitable:-

1) The approach allows for regular and progressive dialogue following periods of critical reflection with the aim of bringing about change in practices. Thus, at the end of a participatory project, researchers can advance an action agenda for change

2) The approach is focused on supporting individuals as they free themselves from limiting constraints that are inherent in the power relationships that are at play in their complex societal structures and day-to day settings. The approach encourages researchers to avoid situations where they offer what Freire (1996) terms ‘false liberation’

3) The approach is emancipatory, as it is aimed at helping to free participants from the constraints of irrational and unjust structures that might be limiting their self-efficacy 4) The approach is practical and collaborative as it is inquiry that is completed with others

rather than ‘on’ or ‘to’ others, with the researcher setting themselves in a higher position of power as the expert.

In presenting my arguments for applying a PAR philosophy for this research, I have also discussed the limitations of this approach in this chapter. I outlined the strategies I used to ensure credibility through validation of findings from participants, discussion of findings with supervisors and other representatives from this social structure. This PAR approach allowed me to examine and improve my own practice as an events manager as well as develop a collaborative research project where I could learn from the useful insights of the community of interest. The findings of the research discussed in the following chapters 6, 7 and 8 have enabled me to make a contribution to the sector that I work in and in Chapter 9 I offer some recommendations on future research pathways that can be undertaken to develop the PED process. The findings I discuss in the subsequent chapters will be useful to both arts and events practitioners, policymakers and supporting institutions that are working in Zimbabwe’s

192 cultural sector or in other regions where similar systems of power and control enframe and marginalise some communities.

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