Researching WITH communities- Unpacking the ‘Community Contract’

Although community- engaged research is increasingly promoted in literature and incentivised through funding opportunities; academic programmes often fail to prepare researchers for the critical ethical issues involved in doing this work. This lack of awareness and at times competence, unfavourably impacts the communities that are engaged. Where communities should be empowered and supported through research, they are more often than not ‘data banks’ that are ‘farmed’ for stories that do not return to them.

This workshop aims to increase researchers’ knowledge and felt experience of the ‘dos and don’ts’ of community-engaged research. A model of ‘community contracts’ will be outlined with four areas of focus: entering the community, working within the cultural and social realities of the community, shared dissemination, ethically leaving or staying. The workshop will explore the critical, ethical and power issues involved in doing this work. It is open to researchers at all levels.

Saturday 14th March, 2020 (10am-1pm)

BAME Leadership Pipeline in Sheffield

A cross-sector city-wide event that brings together organisations, professionals and community members, to talk about the structural barriers to leadership progression BAME professionals face in the city, and what is needed to better support a pipeline.

This a solution- focussed event that seeks to not only highlight key issues, but is also fundamentally a call to action.

KEYNOTE by International Speaker, Independent consultant, mentor, and coach Professor Laura Serrant OBE

PANEL and ROUNDTABLE Discussions

COLLECTIVE ACTION PLANNING which will form the basis of a public report.

Saturday 11th April, 2020 (9.30am-4.30pm)

Researcher in-between: Beyond the ‘insider-outsider’ binary

What does it mean to do research within a community to which you belong, whilst simultaneously holding the values and frameworks of the academy?

• What does it mean to do research with a community to which you do not belong and how do you navigate and mitigate the impact of your positionality?

• How do you navigate the ethics of coming in, being with and leaving or staying?

The insider/outside binary is often discussed in research to allow researchers to reflect on their positionalities and to recognise the boundaries. However, authors such as McNess, Arthur, and Crossley (2013) recognise that the workings of research are more complex and that the relationship between researcher and researched cannot be simplified in binary terms.

We need to re-envision the way we conceptualise being an inside, outside or in-between in the research process.

This workshop explores how we understand traditional boundaries such as language, ethnicity, gender, age etc. and the role of power in framing our positionalities. It will also explore understandings of ontological, epistemological and disciplinary boundaries and how these underpin supposed insider/outside positioning during the research process.

Saturday 25th April, 2020 (10am-1pm)

An Introduction to Anti-Oppressive Practice

What is anti-oppressive practice and why is it important? This action-focused workshop offers a space of challenge, reflection and necessary discomfort.

Participants are invited to question the taken for granted, to recognise the links between structures and everyday lived experiences, and to unpack how they have been socially positioned.

There is no space that can be ‘safe’ for all, particularly given the nature of what will be discussion, so this will be an interactive space that centres on respect and compassion.

This space aims to be as inclusive and as accessible as possible, but if you have specific requirements, please contact the organiser before you book a place.

These activities are most effective in small groups and so spaces are limited to just 12 for these sessions.

The workshop will be facilitated by Dr Muna Abdi, an Education & Equity consultant, Researcher and Well Being Coach.

Saturday 16th May, 2020 (10am-1pm)/ Wednesday 20th May, 2020 (2-5pm)