IAS352 PRACTICES AND SKILLS IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY WORK
Module 2: Exploring and discovering community issues: Methods of inquiry and research
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· Module 2
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Exploring and discovering community issues: Methods of inquiry and research |
· Overview
There are several ways community workers can explore and discover issues in socially and culturally diverse communities. This module outlines the research methods utilised in the design and carrying out of needs assessment and data gathering for effective community work. The two main research methodologies - quantitative and qualitative and the various methods of enquiry which are appropriate for community workers when responding to the social, economic, cultural and political needs of individuals, groups and community organisations are presented in this module.
In this module you will need to do the following activities to assist with your learning:
· read the related texts,
· watch videos
· write in your blog
· reflect on your understanding of the readings, and jot these down.
· Key Concepts and Terms
This mind map shows some of the concepts and terms in this module. Can you add on to these?
· The knowledge journey
The two main research methodologies are quantitative and qualitative. They have different research methods including the following:
- Quantitative research - survey, experiment, questionnairre
- Qualitative research - Participant observation, Interviews, focus groups
Quantitative and quanlitative research methods differ in the following: - theoretical and analytical objectives - the types of questions asked - the way the questions are asked - the types of data collection instruments - the type of data produced - the study design and degree of flexibility In community work with culturally diverse communities, qualitative research methods namely, participant observation, interviews and focus groups are commonly used to explore and discover community issues and concerns because they "seek to understand a given problem from the perspectives of the population involved ... [and] effective in obtaining culturally specific information about values, opinions, behaviors and social contexts of particular populations" (Mack et al. 2005 p. 1). For more in-depth theoretical perspective on the strengths of qualitative research methods in social research, please refer to the suggested videos and readings listed in this module.
· Appropriate inquiry: Participatory research
The Start Strong, Grow Strong and Close the Gap videos, produced by the Rural Health Education Foundation, provide insight into some social and health issues in Indigenous community work and more particularly they focus on participatory research as an appropriate method of inquiry in Indigenous community work.
The videos show that 'some of the enormous health and well-being problems faced by Aboriginal communities are being successfully ameliorated by the communities themselves through participative and community-based initiatives' (Rural Health Education Foundation Website) . The Start Strong video focuses on the 'initiatives of the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture Program; Daruk Aboriginal Medical Services; Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council Nutrition Program, Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS) and Alukura Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Inc.' (ibid) The Grow Strong video shows models for community development and 'highlights a number of community initiatives, including: Jirnani Childcare Centre at Nguiu, Bathurst Island; Nguiu Clinic, Bathurst Island; and Growth Assessment and Action (GAA) Hermannsburg'. (ibid) You may either access Rural Health Education Foundation website for information on these programs or borrow the video from Batchelor Institute library.
Live strong: Closing the Gap on Chronic Disease
Live Strong: Closing the Gap on Chronic Disease
User: n/a - Added: 14/01/14
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRDT8ZZWdQ8
Video - Rural Health Education Foundation, 2005
Available in the Batchelor Institute library, Batchelor Campus (36210899915. STAR)
Ober, R 2017, The use of culturally appropriate way of engaging with Aboriginal research participants http://aiatsis.gov.au/publications/presentations/impact-engagement-transformation
Tsey, K 2013, Komla's story - Doing research with Indigenous communities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CZl4ErrxQ8
· Readings
The reading for this module are:
Denscombe, M 2014, The good research guide , (5th ed.) Open University Press: Maidenhead. (eBook)
Hardcastle, D, Powers, PR & Wenocour, S 1997, Community practice: Theories and skills for social workers, Oxford University Press: New York pp. 176 – 182. Available at CDU Casuarina and Batchelor Libraries
Hawtin, M, Hughes, G & Percy-Smith, J 1999, Community Profiling: Auditing social needs, Open University Press: Buckingham pp. 69 – 119.
Available at CDU Casuarina and Batchelor Libraries
Homan, MS 2004, Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world, Brooks/Coles Publishing Company: California pp. 135 – 150. Available at CDU Casuarina and Batchelor Libraries
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1997, Bringing them home: Report of the national inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families , Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.
Tropman, J, Erlich, J & Rothman, J 1995, Tactics and techniques of community intervention, F.E. Publishers Inc.: Illinois – pp. 66 - 73. Available at CDU Casuarina and Batchelor Libraries
Twelvetrees, A 2008, Community Work, (4th Ed.) McMillan: Basingstoke pp. 98 – 138 Available at CDU Casuarina and Batchelor Libraries
Wadsworth, Y 1997, Do it yourself social research , (2nd Ed.) Allen and Unwin: Sydney pp. 35 – 60. [ebook]
Yunupingu, G (Ed.) 1997, Our land is our life: Land rights – past, present and future, University of Queensland Press: St. Lucia. Available at CDU Casuarina and Batchelor Libraries
Journal Articles
Bennett, B, Zubrzycki, J & Bacon, V 2011, " What do we know? The experiences of social workers working alongside Aboriginal people" , Australian Social Work, vol 64 no. 1, pp. 20 - 37.
Bessarab, D & Ng'andu, B 2010, "Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in Indigenous research" , International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, vol 3, no.1, pp. 37-50.
Castellan, CM 2010, " Quantitative and qualitative research ", International Journal of Education, vol 2, no. 2, pp. 1-14.
Fern, E 2012, “ Developing social work practice by engaging practitioners in action research ”, Qualitative Social Work, vol. 11 no. 2, pp.156-173.
Fredericks, B, Finlay, S & Fletcher, G 2011, " Engaging the practice of yarning in Action Research ", Action Learning and Action Research Journal, vol 17, no. 2, pp. 7-19.
Geia, LK, Hayes, B & Usher, K 2013, " Yarning/Aboriginal storytelling: Towards an understanding of an Indigenous perspective and its implications for research practice ", Contemporary Nurse, vol 46, no.1, pp. 13-17.
Jackson-Barrett, E, Price, A, Stomski, N & Walker, BF 2015, " Grounded in country: Perspectives on working within, alongside and for Aboriginal communities" , Issues in Educational Research, vol 25, no. 1, pp. 36-49.
Munford, R, Sanders, J & Andrew, A 2003, “Community development: Action research in community settings ” Social Work Education, vol 22, no.1, pp. 93–104.
Roman, C 2016, "Indigenous people and qualitative research - making it work" Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, vol. 40, pp. 11-16.
Sherwood, J & Kendall, S 2013, " Reframing spaces by building relationships: Community collaborative participatory action research with Aborignal mothers in prison ", Contemporary Nurse, vol 46, no 1, pp. 83-94.
Snow, KC, Hays, DG, Caliwan, G, Ford Jr., DG, Mariotti, D, Mwendwa, JM & Scott, WE 2016, "Guiding principles for Indigenous research practices" , Action Research, vol 14, no 4, pp. 357-375.
Tsey, K, Patterson, D, Whiteside, M, Baird, L & Baird, B 2002, “Indigenous men taking their rightful place in society? A preliminary analysis of a participatory action research process with Yarrabah Men's Health Group” , Australian Journal of Rural Health, 106, pp.278-284.
Walker, M, Fredericks, B, Mills, K & Anderson, D 2014, " ' Yarning' as a method for community-based health research with Indigenous women: The Indigenous women's wellness research program" Health Care for women International, 35, pp.1216 - 1226
The links above take you to an electronic copy of the item in the eReadings, journal or eBook collection set up for this unit or to the location where this resource is stored on a data base or on the internet.
Read the following two Journal articles: Munford, R, Sanders, J & Andrew, A 2003, “Community development: Action research in community settings” Social Work Education, 22 (1) pp. 93 – 104. Tsey, K, Patterson, D, Whiteside, M, Baird, L & Baird, B 2002, “Indigenous men taking their rightful place in society? A preliminary analysis of a participatory action research process with Yarrabah Men's Health Group” , Australian Journal of Rural Health, 106, pp. 278-284. For each of these readings identify:
· The researcher/s
· The researched
· The issues/problems
· Methods of inquiry
· Recommendations/Suggestions/Implications of the study.
Write your responses to the readings in about 400 words in your blog.