Participatory research approaches typically foster intrinsic motivation, but in four Tanzanian villages, innovative methods and facilitator reflexivity did not immediately yield active engagement. A study by Richardson and colleagues revealed that four years of transactional relations, where villagers were paid to participate in agricultural research for development (AR4D) projects, had created a deep-seated, problematic pattern.
This pattern emerged from a setup where gatekeepers, often government workers, invited select villagers, offering monetary incentives. This perpetuated a cycle of transactional relationships between project staff and participants.
To break this cycle, researchers introduced participatory video (PV) workshops and community cinema (CC) events. These initiatives enabled community members to conceptualize, plan, and produce their own videos, share knowledge and learnings with fellow farmers, and provide critical feedback on project support.
Open invitations replaced selective summonses, fostering non-transactional interactions between participants and facilitators. Locally-produced videos sparked insightful discussions among villagers, demonstrating the value of co-creative practices in AR4D.
To disrupt problematic patterns in agricultural research for development, creativity throughout the communication process is crucial, enabling collaborative exchanges between farmers, experts, and facilitators.
References
Richardson, P., Tolange, D., Plummer, A., & Kaufmann, B.A. (2022). Disrupting Patterns at the End of an Agricultural Research Project: Experiences with Community Cinema and Participatory Video. GeoHumanities, 9(1), 273-285. https://doi.org/10.1080/2373566X.2022.2115935
Photo Credits: Pamela Richardson and colleagues
Article contributed by Naomi Ida Marie C. De los Reyes, CCComDev intern
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