Community praxis in rural Zimbabwe : developing reflexive products for research and communication

• Main Author: Clough, Nick
• Published: University of the West of England, Bristol 2005
• Subjects: 371.19096891
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.444534

The initiation, by a community, of a library project has provided opportunity for this study of participation for change. The term community praxis is used to invoke the processes of reflection on action, re-articulation of action and communication about action that are fundamental aims of the action research. While attempts were being made to explore the conscious agency of community members who were making voluntary contributions to the change process, significant methodological problems presented themselves. These included the resolution of tensions between outsider perspectives and insider perspectives and the challenge of representing data gathered in the field appropriately as texts. The development of research instruments which in this study have been termed 'reflexive products' has supported the generation of reflections on actions and data about data that include the responses of outsider-insiders. In this sense the reflexive products have become tools for communication and their extended use to support teaching and intercultural learning in HEI classrooms is also reported here. The substantive areas which emerge relate broadly to questions about the relationship of schools with their communities - including issues about the choice of language and pedagogy and about the development of social and cultural infrastructures to support the processes of change at the margins. It is argued that the discussions of both the methodology and the substantive themes are relevant to studies of complementary educational actions and to the development of pluralistic research approaches for use in cross cultural settings. Evidence from the study suggests that commonly accepted pedagogical formats can be critiqued constructively through recognition of the educational value attached by learners to bilingualism and through acceptance of the educational contributions that can come from community voices. An educational value that finds expression through the study is that partnerships between professionals and community members can further the integration of professional services with communities.