Participatory Research Revised

Social Marketing

Participatory Research

 

THE PROBLEM

The problem our project is addressing is how to gather and analyze data. Specifically, asking how Globalhood’s participants can develop and analyze tangible data about the effectiveness of their efforts. The participants of this program include first-generation American young adults of low-income urban families and marginalized rural communities in the Dominican Republic. The focus of the program is to help young people and communities develop new perspectives on social welfare, life skills and community.

Globalhood advocates change of perspective. Many of the participants are from low-income areas, often receiving assistance of some kind (socially, governmental, etc). This program’s aim is to empower those who receive help to give help and education to others less fortunate than themselves. Our project will attempt to cultivate these efforts into measurable results.

 

POTENTIAL BARRIERS

Barriers for our program implementation include properly educating the young people in the technology and processes involved with ethnography. Practical barriers also include access to the young people, including before their trip to the Dominican Republic and afterwards. Additionally, barriers may include making data collection interesting for them, as well as determining what to analyze.

 

WE ARE SELLING AND TEACHING…

• An opportunity to teach technology as well as data collecting and analysis.
• How to read information as researchers.
• How to sell Globalhood’s message based on the data they collect and interpret.
• They will become active participants in the marketing of the program in which they are involved, the reward then being a sense of ownership, investment and responsibility toward the program and its message.  
• A more developed perspective about their surroundings and the communities in which others live.
• How to set objectives and measure their efforts.
• How to teach others the ethnographic skills they are practicing and have learned.

 

 

THE COMPETITION

Competitors to this project include other groups in our Social Marketing class as we are all working to drive results for the same organization.  Which is admirable in theory but somewhat chaotic and repetitive from a management perspective for the organization.  To combat this, one proposed solution could be to work in tandem with the other groups. More specifically to Globalhood, though, are other nonprofit organizations that have increased funding, resources and marketing programs in place already.

 

ENGAGING AND EFFECTING

Participatory research will assist young people in focusing attention on how their efforts can affect others. With research and analysis, the young people will be able to develop additional perspective on their community and others. With this new perspective, the young people can take a more involved approach to community involvement and activism. We’re asking them to step out of the world they know and put forth new ideas to handle a situation through proactive interaction. Their attitudes and behaviors will be affected by this new process and corresponding tasks. Specifically, through ethnography, the students will be able to quantitatively see the impact of their efforts. Secondarily, the young people can implement those results into positive buzz for Globalhood, making the program’s initiatives more developed and marketed.

 

HOW YOU’LL KNOW WE ARE EFFECTIVE…

The measure of our project’s effectiveness is two-fold. The effectiveness of what the young people learn from us as well as the value of their ability to teach to their own students in the Dominican Republic.  As we teach the young people about ethnography and empower them with the skills to gather and analyze data, subsequently they get to implement those skills, as they will have to teach their own lessons.  Our effectiveness will also be part of the measurable data analysis.

 

OUR PLATFORMS

We have chosen to utilize multiple platforms including photography, video, paper logs and electronic blogs. Photography will be included in the first part of the teaching, as a way to assist the students with the transition of participant to researcher. Daily logs and blogs will help the students to clarify their efforts, as well as put their data in a specific location. As ethnographers, data is paramount, so we want to empower the young people with as many resources as possible. Observations are a key component.

 

THE STEPS

Remaining Steps needed to develop and complete this project:

Phase One – PRE-EXCURSION:

1. Submit revised proposal to Globalhood for review
2. Receive approval from Globalhood
3. Participate in Panel discussion of student’s independent projects (6/30)
4. Supply students with tools (cameras) for their trip (6/30)
5. Set post trip agenda for return meeting, develop lesson plan,
6. Meet with young people, instruct them in ethnography, provide project details for measurable exercise intended to familiarize young people with ethnography tactics, training (completed 6/24)

*Please note that this may have cost implications, TBD

 

Phase Two – POST-EXCURSION:

1. Collect and develop film (upon return)
2. Follow-up meeting with young people to discuss data collected and collectively analyze
3. File and data sharing with other Social Marketing groups, as information maybe helpful across groups.  As to not duplicate efforts, encourage efficiency of projects and time limitations

 

Project Roles:

Each group member will be a part of each activity, with the exception of attending in-person meetings. Billy and Emogene will attend all meetings, as they are local to the nonprofit. Sarah will handle administration and the blog, as she is located on the West Coast.

 

Timeline:
June 24, 2008: Pre-excursion training with young people (focus on the meaning of Ethnography, tips, etc.) DONE

June 27, 2008: Meet with Globalhood Coordinator to submit revised proposal and discuss next steps

June 30, 2008: Pre-excursion meeting with young people (focus on independent projects and distribute cameras for observations during trip)

 

 July 2008: Post-excursion follow-up with young people 2-3 days after their return from DR (focus on their data and analysis)

 

WE ARE…

Project contributors are Sarah Haas, Billy Paretti and Emogene Shadwick

The Project manager is Emogene Shadwick.

Youth Panel Documents

Attached Document includes Youth Venture’s Action Plan:
action_plan_-_final_version1

Correspondence from Youth Venture lead representative for Global Potential:
First of all, thank you for agreeing to be on the Selection Panel for this team.  They have done an incredible amount of work, and have an amazing job ahead of them.
 
Secondly, let me introduce myself and my organization.  My name is Jennifer, and I have been the Youth Venture lead representative for Global Potential over the past two months or so.  I have worked weekly with the team to complete their action plan and have supported them as they developed their venture idea.  My organization, Ashoka’s Youth Venture®, seeks to develop a generation of socially responsible youth, what we call Changemakers.  This process consists of the students completing an Action Plan and culminates in their presentation at Selection Panel.  For their work, we offer teams start-up funding grants of up to $1000.  Anyone ages 12-20 is eligible to participate in the program, and we reach out to students and young people in 15 countries around the world.  This is the first team that we have launched in partnership with Global Potential, and I’m so proud of these kids.    
 
As panelists, your job is to provide the team with practical feedback related to their venture – to check that they have dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s.  I have attached a copy of the Selection Booklet, which contains the basic schedule for the evening, as well as the selection criteria and helpful list of do’s and don’ts for panelists.  Please take a look through this booklet over the weekend, and feel free to email me if you have any questions.  I have also attached a copy of the team’s Action Plan, which is their basic business plan for their venture.  The students have completed this on their own, and in transcribing it to a word document, I have made changes for spelling and punctuation.  Other than that, I have left the text as it was given to me.  Again, if you have questions, please feel free to email.  
 
Please be aware that the students will be having their regular team meeting before the Selection Panel here at our office, so if you could arrive around 6:30/6:45, that would be great.  I will conference with the team briefly and then we can take 15 minutes or so to discuss any questions or issues that you have (away from the team, in another room) before the panel.  The whole Selection Panel process should take 30-45 minutes.  
 
Our address is below; the closest subway stops are the A/C train to High Street/Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, or the York St. stop on the F train.  You can also take the 2/3, 4/5, M/R trains to Borough Hall, Brooklyn, but that’s a bit more of a hike.  
 
Thanks again!  Please email if you have any questions!  I’ll be checking my email regularly over the weekend.

Participatory Research

Participatory Research

-Sarah Haas, Billy Paretti and Emogene Shadwick (The New School)

 

Ethnography is the branch of anthropology that deals with the scientific description of specific human cultures.[1]  

 

When doing ethnographic studies we can utilize different forms of media (video, photography, interviews, online blogging and written surveys) to observe how people live and use that analysis to make assumptions about lifestyles, societies and to predict future behaviors.

 

One example of ethnographic observation is to observe the types of cars on a given city block and conclude the economic status of the neighborhood based on the cars observed.

Freshly polished BMWs and Escalades would signify a more upscale community and broken down hoopties would represent a more economically challenged hood.

 

Another example would be to observe the number of schools in a given number of blocks. 

More schools mean more children in a neighborhood.

 

So you can see that there many conclusions that can be gathered from just observing details about people, architecture, landscapes, tools, work-life and recreational habits.

 

WARNING:

When doing ethnographic research, it is necessary to collect all data objectively. 

If observing with the idea of proving a conclusion to be right, the data will be flawed…

Always look at everything first and then make your analysis and conclusions after you collect, categorize and analyze all of your observations.

 

During your time in the Dominican Republic, here are some questions that can be answered using pictures, video, video-blogs, written blogs and/or spoken word.

 

1. What are some ways to get the community interested in ethnography?
2. What are the most important things you feel need to be documented?
3. If no one told you there was limited drinking water, how would you know?
4. What in the Dominican Republic is most similar to how you live life in the US?
5. What in the US is most different to how life is lived in the Dominican Republic?

Progress Posting

Accomplishments:

Our group has devised and implemented a lesson plan to help the young adults at Globalhood understand ethnography and the practices surrounding it. Additionally, we have donated cameras and provided questionnaires to the young adults to assist them in gathering data during their time in the Dominican Republic.

 

Future Goals:

By the end of this semester, our group intends to have representative data of the young adults’ experience in the Dominican Republic. We hope that the young adults will have a better understanding of ethnography, as well as its importance. Additionally, we intend to use the data collected – once analyzed – to the benefit of the nonprofit, Globalhood, to further its goals.

 

Post-Semester Goals:

We intend to have our data collected and analyzed before the end of the semester. However, should timing/coordination prevent that, we would want to at least have the data collected and work with the young adults on its analysis, intending to reach the goals that noted previously post-semester.

 

Platforms of Communication:

Our group has utilized multiple platforms for communication and collaboration. We have used in-person, mobile phones, e-mail, digital pictures, blogging, texting and Second Life, and plan to use Skype before the semester’s end. In terms of communication effectiveness, the phone and Second Life seem to work the best, as they exist in real time. Face-to-face has been effective for two of our group members, as both live locally in the New York City area. However, the third person in the group is located on the West Coast. As such, it has been more challenging to integrate her into the in-person requirements, such as meeting with the director of the nonprofit organization. To compensate, we touch base with each other via the listed alternative methods so that everyone is knowledgeable about the events.

 

Documenting and Sharing Work:

In terms of documenting our work, our group has kept our blog up-to-date, and we continually e-mail each other with information, notes and items of interest as they arise. Since ours is data-driven, we are awaiting the return of the young adults before we will have a substantial amount of materials to share.

 

Resources:

Our group has used the Internet and our class readings to develop our project. Additionally, we have communicated in-depth with the nonprofit organizers, our teacher, guest lecturers and each other.

 

Realization Assistance:

The biggest help to our group in terms of being able to complete our project would be to have time with the young adults upon their return from the Dominican Republic. This time would allow us to review the data they collected and to help them analyze it, as well as to help the nonprofit find ways to use it to their advantage.

 

Meet w/ GlobalHood Participants (6/23/08)

Our group met with GlobalHood today (6/23/08) to discuss Participatory Research

AGENDA:
1-    What is ethnography? What is its purpose
2-    Group Projects:  observing your surroundings (w/ cell phone and note taking)
3-    Analyzing Data: What types of conclusions can we draw from our observations?
4-    Extending our Studies to the Dominican Republic (health issues and poor water quality)

Comments:
For the group project, Billy and I each took a group of young people around Ronald McNair Park in Brooklyn to make observations.

Billy’s group observed using a cell phone camera.
Emogene’s group observed and made notes (1-student detailed as we walked, 1- listed details after the walk)

The young people were very observant of their surroundings and when the groups later combined, we discussed ways their findings paralleled. They also easily made connections and analysis of the pictures taken and the details noted.

We later discussed potential ways to continue ethnographic studies in the Dominican Republic using video, cameras and blogging. Our group has agreed to supply GlobalHood with cameras to take pictures and teach the Dominican Republic community to take pictures

We will return to work with GlobalHood on Monday (6/30) when the young people present their personal projects for evaluation. Billy and I will be serving as co-judges. We will distribute the cameras at that event.

We also will be scheduling a meet with the young people to present and analyze the data they collect in the Dominican Republic.

e.

Updates to Participatory Research Project

Please note during the 6/22/08 Second Life Meeting, we made the following adjustments to our proposal:
1- We are now requesting only one meet with the young people
2- We will be doing an on-site project with them that will give an overview of ethnography, a project for them to quickly complete and discussion on ways to classify their findings.
3- We will also discuss potential ways to gather information for study in DR.
We also submitted the proposal and the above updates to Frank and Sara @ GlobalHood

We will continue to update this proposal as needed.
e.

Globalhood Ethnography Project

Social Marketing

Participatory Research

 

THE PROBLEM

The problem our project is addressing is how to gather and analyze data. Specifically, asking how Globalhood’s participants can develop and analyze tangible data about the effectiveness of their efforts. The participants of this program include first-generation American young adults of low-income urban families, and marginalized rural communities in the Dominican Republic. The focus of the program is to help young people and communities develop new perspectives on social welfare, life skills and community.

Globalhood advocates change of perspective. Many of the participants are from low-income areas, often receiving assistance of some kind (socially, governmental, etc). This program’s aim is to empower those who receive help to give help and education to others less fortunate than themselves. Our project will attempt to cultivate these efforts into measurable results.

 

POTENTIAL BARRIERS

Barriers for our program implementation include properly educating the young people in the technology and processes involved with ethnography. Practical barriers also include access to the young people, including before their trip to the Dominican Republic and afterward. Additionally, barriers may include making data collection interesting for them, as well as determining what to analyze.

 

WE ARE SELLING AND TEACHING…

• An opportunity to teach technology as well as data collecting and analysis.
• How to read information as researchers.
• How to sell Globalhood’s message based on the data they collect and interpret.
• They will become active participants in the marketing of the program in which they are involved, the reward then being a sense of ownership, investment and responsibility toward the program and its message.  
• A more developed perspective about their surroundings and the communities in which others live.
• How to set objectives and measure their efforts.

 

 

THE COMPETITION

Competitors to this project include other groups in our Social Marketing class, as we are all working to drive results for the same organization.  Which is admirable in theory but somewhat chaotic and repetitive from a management perspective for the organization. To combat this, one proposed solution could be to work in tandem with the other groups. More specifically to Globalhood, though, are other nonprofit organizations that have increased funding, resources and marketing programs in place already.

 

ENGAGING AND EFFECTING

Participatory research will assist young people in focusing attention on how their efforts can affect others. With research and analysis, the young people will be able to develop additional perspective on their community and others. With this new perspective, the young people can take a more involved approach to community involvement and activism. We’re asking them to step out of the world they know and put forth new ideas to handle a situation through proactive interaction. Their attitudes and behaviors will be affected by this new process and corresponding tasks. Specifically, through ethnography, the students will be able to quantitatively see the impact of their efforts. Secondarily, the young people can implement those results into positive buzz for Globalhood, making the program’s initiatives more developed and marketed.

 

HOW YOU’LL KNOW WE ARE EFFECTIVE…

The measure of our project’s effectiveness is two-fold. The effectiveness of what the young people learn from us, as well as the value of their ability to teach to their own students in the Dominican Republic. As we teach the young people about ethnography and empower them with the skills to gather and analyze data, subsequently they get to implement those skills, as they will have to teach their own lessons. Our effectiveness will also be part of the measurable data analysis.

 

OUR PLATFORMS

We have chosen to utilize multiple platforms including photography, video, paper logs and electronic blogs. Photography will be included in the first part of the teaching as a way to assist the students with the transition from participant to researcher. Daily logs and blogs will help the students to clarify their efforts, as well as put their data in a specific location. As ethnographers, data is paramount, so we want to empower the young people with as many resources as possible. Observations are a key component.

 

THE STEPS

Steps needed to develop and complete this project:

Phase One – PRE-EXCURSION:

1. Complete proposal, submit to Globalhood for review
2. Receive approval from Globalhood
3. Set meeting times to visit with young people participants
4. Set pre and post trip agendas for the meetings, develop lesson plan, acquire materials*
5. Meet with young people, instruct them in ethnography, provide project details for measurable exercise intended to familiarize young people with ethnography tactics, training
6. Collect and develop film
7. Participate in second meeting pre-trip with young people, analyze data collected by young people, and demonstrate how their analysis relates to trip data collections. Provide objectives for trip in terms of data collection.

*Please note that this may have cost implications, TBD

 

Phase Two – POST-EXCURSION:

1. Follow-up meeting with young people to discuss data collected and their analysis
2. File and data sharing with other Social Marketing groups, as information maybe helpful across groups.  As to not duplicate efforts, encourage efficiency of projects and time limitations

 

Project Roles:

Each group member will be a part of each activity, with the exception of attending in-person meetings. Billy and Emogene will attend all meetings, as they are local to the nonprofit. Sarah will handle administration and the blog, as she is located on the West Coast.

 

Timeline:
June 24, 2008: Pre-excursion training with young people (focus on the meaning of Ethnography, tips and NYC Camera project set-up

June 27, 2008: Collect data form young people for development

June 30, 2008: Pre-excursion training with young people (focus on developed photographs and introduction of new platforms for research)

 

 July 2008: Post-excursion follow-up with young people 2-3 after their return from DR (focus on their data and analysis)

 

WE ARE…

Project contributors are Sarah Haas, Billy Paretti and Emogene Shadwick

The Project manager is Emogene Shadwick.

Globalhood Meeting

Emogene met with Frank and Sarah, of Globalhood

 

Globalhood focus:

Globalhood is a leadership program that works with youths who are first-generation of immigrants, Semi-impoverished

 

 

Globalhood Agenda:

Provide mentoring program for two weeks in the Dominican Republic

The youths will work on promoting HIV awareness, as well as participate in home repair, classes/workshops, small projects

 

Location:

Viateyocho (?) – little village in the DR, with 2,000 people, 10 phones for the whole community, water conversation issues, no amenities, Haitian population

 

Students will have Internet access once a week during the two-week trip. They leave early July. They should be able to participate in less time-consuming Internet/media tools such as blogs and video recording

 

Activities:

The students will be interacting and educating the DR population, with the goal of learning skill development and multicultural interaction (aka, ‘fish out of water’)

 

Additionally, the youths will be implementing their own mini- projects in the community, such as teaching soccer and baseball, dance, poetry, spoken word, tutoring –

 

Our focus:

Media communication, communicating ideas

We are supporting them in helping them disseminate the data they collect/what they’ve learned/help to communicate to people at home and to themselves what the experience was/is for them

 

Desired Outcome:

For the youths to have the experience of being without, to develop empathy for other impoverished communities, to learn the value of not wasting

 

As Ethnographers:

We need to teach the youths how to log their data, and what data to log, in order to measure their trip in some way by some reference

 

Misc. Information:

Global Potential wants an interactive blog. They currently have a newsletter that is currently sent to subscribers via e-mail

 

Currently working on the community infrastructure, teaching workshops

From the Meeting:

Globalhood Priorities include developing an interactive blog, tracking user demographics

 

Note:

Access to youths is limited

We are asked to prioritize projects based on needs, short term/long term goals

 

Our Conclusion:

We need to work with the youths before their trip

We want to find ways to integrate their projects – spoken word, soccer, etc…

 

Next Steps:

Sarah to research ‘canvassing,’ Emogene and Billy to discuss time for all of us to talk Wednesday evening, secure proposal draft

 

Longer Range:

We need to submit our project proposals, then Frank will decide priority

We propose two ideas – one based on working with them before the youths leave, one working with the youths upon their return

 

Ideas:

Youths can make testimonials, surveys, collect data, canvassing, set up ideas for video testimonials, cell phone cameras

 

Teach them how to collect data, how to decide what to shoot for video, show them types of things to look for

 

We could set up two sessions. Emogene and Billy work with kids, share a whole bunch of information, ideas, get the kids ready to collect data in the first session. In the second session, post-research/data collecting, have the youths come back and tell what they found out, help to make conclusions

 

If we teach them this data process around HIV awareness, we’re doing the assignment

 

We teach them about HIV awareness and connect that with data as an example. In DR, they could research their choice of topic

 

 

*Ethnography- you’re looking for specific things that translate what the community is; the study of making sense of the answers*

 

 

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