Universities as ‘Global Citizens’: Reflections and Learning …
99
act” (Ahearn 2001. p. 112). This suggests that the capacity to act varies in relation
to the social and cultural environment in which the action occurs. The researchers
emphasised agency as a key factor in the development and implementation of sustainable development projects (Fig. 1). During the reflective dialogue, the researchers
thought that their common agency was linked to power relations, active learning,
communication, multiple opportunities, empathy, blending in, vulnerability and
identity.
However, each researcher linked agency to different themes (Fig. 1). Indeed,
agency had the same or fewer interconnections to other themes than active learning
and communication for researcher B, and the same or fewer interconnections than
service, gratefulness or empathy for researcher C. The researchers discussed that
active learning requires agency of the learners to actively engage in learning (see
Fig. 1). In addition, in participatory research all participants involved (including
researchers) could be in a learning mindset.
Sustainable development projects involving universities based in the Global North
and local communities based in the Global South are likely to be subject to historical
power relations potentially mirroring neocolonialism (Andreotti 2016). Although it
is not always possible to avoid these power relations, the three researchers tried to
address this issue by using reflection throughout the project. The three researchers
believe that acknowledging power relations and finding ways to balance them is
a crucial element for the successful implementation of sustainable development
projects involving academia and communities. Agency therefore plays an important role in addressing power relations and throughout the project the researchers
reflected on the power relations and discussed ways to balance them. One approach
includes a focus on learning rather than teaching and combined with participatory
research this can be a tool to help address power relations. However, power relations
may often be present in research deemed ‘participatory’.
In this particular case, shifting the focus to learning rather than teaching could be
done by setting out to learn from and with the Dique Channel Leaders. This might
feel more natural for some researchers than for others.
Researcher A: hopefully we have managed to create a balance. Because I think I am the
opposite of paternalistic, just throw yourself to it and then you can do it…I am a bit too
much like that: I throw you there, you deal with it. Whereas researcher C is a lot more
structured and you accompany people in the process and maybe I am too much of throwing
people and maybe you are too much of …
Researcher B:… leading
Researcher A: or showing the way..
Researcher C: Or I am deductive and you are inductive…?
Researcher A: oh no…
Researcher B: oh Maybe…yeah.. that’s so interesting
Researcher A: I don’t get it.. tell me about it
Researcher C: I was thinking about my lectures and passions and things.. why it works
here but does not work there…but and I was thinking I give examples and examples and
examples and I am telling them so they can do it in different ways…here we were trying
different methods we were saying you need to find your journey…and how you can do it
99
act” (Ahearn 2001. p. 112). This suggests that the capacity to act varies in relation
to the social and cultural environment in which the action occurs. The researchers
emphasised agency as a key factor in the development and implementation of sustainable development projects (Fig. 1). During the reflective dialogue, the researchers
thought that their common agency was linked to power relations, active learning,
communication, multiple opportunities, empathy, blending in, vulnerability and
identity.
However, each researcher linked agency to different themes (Fig. 1). Indeed,
agency had the same or fewer interconnections to other themes than active learning
and communication for researcher B, and the same or fewer interconnections than
service, gratefulness or empathy for researcher C. The researchers discussed that
active learning requires agency of the learners to actively engage in learning (see
Fig. 1). In addition, in participatory research all participants involved (including
researchers) could be in a learning mindset.
Sustainable development projects involving universities based in the Global North
and local communities based in the Global South are likely to be subject to historical
power relations potentially mirroring neocolonialism (Andreotti 2016). Although it
is not always possible to avoid these power relations, the three researchers tried to
address this issue by using reflection throughout the project. The three researchers
believe that acknowledging power relations and finding ways to balance them is
a crucial element for the successful implementation of sustainable development
projects involving academia and communities. Agency therefore plays an important role in addressing power relations and throughout the project the researchers
reflected on the power relations and discussed ways to balance them. One approach
includes a focus on learning rather than teaching and combined with participatory
research this can be a tool to help address power relations. However, power relations
may often be present in research deemed ‘participatory’.
In this particular case, shifting the focus to learning rather than teaching could be
done by setting out to learn from and with the Dique Channel Leaders. This might
feel more natural for some researchers than for others.
Researcher A: hopefully we have managed to create a balance. Because I think I am the
opposite of paternalistic, just throw yourself to it and then you can do it…I am a bit too
much like that: I throw you there, you deal with it. Whereas researcher C is a lot more
structured and you accompany people in the process and maybe I am too much of throwing
people and maybe you are too much of …
Researcher B:… leading
Researcher A: or showing the way..
Researcher C: Or I am deductive and you are inductive…?
Researcher A: oh no…
Researcher B: oh Maybe…yeah.. that’s so interesting
Researcher A: I don’t get it.. tell me about it
Researcher C: I was thinking about my lectures and passions and things.. why it works
here but does not work there…but and I was thinking I give examples and examples and
examples and I am telling them so they can do it in different ways…here we were trying
different methods we were saying you need to find your journey…and how you can do it