Collaborative research in contexts of inequality : the role of social reflexivity
Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Verlag
Abstract
This article reports on the role and value of social reflexivity in collaborative research in
contexts of extreme inequality. Social reflexivity mediates the enablements and constraints
generated by the internal and external contextual conditions impinging on the research
collaboration. It fosters the ability of participants in a collaborative project to align their
interests and collectively extend their agency towards a common purpose. It influences the
productivity and quality of learning outcomes of the research collaboration. The article is
written by 14 members of a larger research team, which comprised 18 individuals working
within the academic development environment in eight South African universities. The
overarching research project investigated the participation of academics in professional development activities, and how contextual, ie. structural and cultural, and agential conditions
influence this participation. For this sub-study on the experience of the collaboration by 14 of
the researchers, we wrote reflective pieces on our own experience of participating in the
project towards the end of the third year of its duration. We discuss the structural and cultural
conditions external to and internal to the project, and how the social reflexivity of the
participants mediated these conditions. We conclude with the observation that policy
injunctions and support from funding agencies for collaborative research, as well as support
from participants’ home institutions, are necessary for the flourishing of collaborative
research, but that the commitment by individual participants to participate, learn and share, is
also necessary.
Description
CITATION: Brenda, L., et al. 2017. Collaborative research in contexts of inequality : the role of social reflexivity. Higher Education, 74(1):65–80, doi:10.1007/s10734-016-0029-5.
The original publication is available at https://link.springer.com
The original publication is available at https://link.springer.com
Keywords
Education, Higher -- Social reflexivity, Education, Higher -- Career development, Education, Higher -- Collaborate research
Citation
Brenda, L., et al. 2017. Collaborative research in contexts of inequality : the role of social reflexivity. Higher Education, 74(1):65–80, doi:10.1007/s10734-016-0029-5